Puzzles and Riddles
by Old Scarecrow
Summary: It is time for surprises and old haunting memories, when the turtle family has to face a deadly ill family member and the return of an old lost brother. Especially Don has to cope with the fact that some of his darkest secrets might have to come forth...
1. This is now

" **PUZZLES AND**** RIDDLES" **

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They belong to their creators. **

**ENJOY!!**

"_**Loose threats"**_

" Mikey I am so sorry, I never meant to do that!"

" It's okay, Mons I've said that a dozen of by times now, it's ok."

" But I should nor have done that. You could have been killed!"

"I wasn't, Mons, so don't worry about it tot.."

" Oh Mikey, I'm so sorry,"

" Sorry is not going to help you young lady…" Don's eyes were fixed on the young girl while he wrapped Mikey's arm in a sling and bandage. " now go and make yourself useful and bring me some clean cloths for the sling."

The young girl sulked, she clearly looked very sad for what had happened. Her broad green brows were lowered and her hazel eyes were very wet, and she sighed and turned her shell to the two adult turtles and went out of the lab.

" You don't have to be so hard on her ,Don," Mikey said shortly after Mona left.

" She needs to learn that she wont get anywhere with that attitude." Don took the scissor and cut the thread on Mikey's arm. " Move your fingers,"

Mikey did as his brother instructed him to, and gently moved his fingers in circles.

" Fine," don said and rolled away on the chair over to the backside table. " the stitches will have to me removed in a week."

" It was my own fault," Mikey said.

Don turned his head around and looked in the direction of his brother. " Mikey, you don't have to take the blame for her, she needs to learn."

" Well I just feel so bad for what I did… I tricked her off on purpose."

" Yeah right, and you accidentally jumped into the glass cubbard on purpose too?" don snorted. " I bet that if you haven't had training in ninjitsu, you would have been a living glass hedgehog by now."

" I tripped over the panel." Mikey continued.

" Let's say that you did, but Mona was still the one pushing you." Don rolled back on the chair to Mikey and took his arm. There was a short silence while don examined his brothers arm, and then he asked. " I was just wondering, what did you do to trick her off like that?"

" When she turned her shell to me, I accidentally came to smack her behind…"

Mona stiffned when she heard the scream coming from the lab. She was standing in the kitchen closing the closet, when she heard the terrifying cry from her youngest uncle, and immediately ran to the lab. She had the clean clothes in her hands and was standing breathing heavily while trying to get a hold on the situation in the lab.

Mikey sat on the same chair he had left him in, and was bended over in a very awkward position as if he had just got a kick to the abdomen, and held a hand on the damaged arm. What had happened here, Mona thought at took her gaze to her father. Donatello was standing by the metal sink and washing his hands.

" What happened to Mikey?" Mona asked.

Don turned around and looked at his daughter. " Oh!" it clearly looked like he was not trying to hide the fact that he knew about Mikey. " Mona I'm so sorry," Don said taking some paper to dry of his hands. He walked over to his daughter who tried to get a hold on the situation and looked confused from Mikey to don several times.

" You… you're sorry?" she asked.

" Oh yes, Mikey explained the situation," Don smiled and took the clothes in her hands and padded her cheek. " I think I owe you and apology, sweetheart."

Mona looked at Mikey who was still in pain, but the tears in his eyes seemed to have stopped flowing.

" Dad, what did you…?" she said before don interrupted her and cupped her face with both his hands.

" No one touches my daughter, and gets away with it," Don said. " Remember that sweetheart,"

Mona placed a hand on her fathers hand and nodded slightly. Her eyes never leaving his. Don smiled and nodded back and then kissed his daughters forehead. " I have to go now, Leo needs his medication."

" Hmm mm," Mona nodded and remembered her oldest uncle, Leonardo, who had been hurt badly on his trip back from Asia. He now needed to be on morphine most of the time. Mona watched her father walk away but knew it wouldn't be long before she would start a row.

_It was hard to see in the dark in this part of the city of New York. The forrest of the foot hill mountains were a peaceful place at this time a year, and to see the sundown from here was a magnificent sight. A lone stranger stepped out of the forrest, and stood by a hill top and enjyod the truly beautiful sight. _

" Really?" the teenage boy asked. " So your father just took a hold of the stitches and almost ripped them out?"

" Just enough to make Mikey cry!" Mona said. " Geez he's so overprotective of me!"

The young boy nodded. His so-called cousin, Mona, sat together with him on an old pile of bricks in the darkness of the old lair. If anyone would take a look at the couple, no one would ever think that they were family. Family by heart. Hector Jones was the son of the turtles best friends, April O'Neil and Casey Jones, and he loved his cousin, Mona, as his own sister. They had grown up together, and learned to accept each other differences, biological, physical and social ways. Hector had learned to accept that Mona, was different and would never be like the other friends he had, and perhaps for some reason he liked that. She was different and he liked that. He smiled and took her hand.

" You know, you ought to tell uncle Don about what happened. You know the thruth."

" What!?" Mona turned her eyes and they became quite big. "Are you crazy! You know what he did to Mikey! I could never do that! What do you think he might do to him then? No, dad will probably just kill him the whole way! God, hector! What have I done!?"

" You haven't done anything, Mona." Hector took an arm around his ´sister´.

" How did Casey act when Marissa told you all about her first boyfriend?" Mona asked. " Did he also try to kill him!"

" At first, yes." Hector said and Mona began to shrug her head over and over again. " But, he learned to accept it in time."

" They are practically brothers, hector! They live together! Besides I don't know if it is real or not! F#ck, it only just happened to me! I'm rather shocked to! For god sake he's my uncle, hector. Why do I have to feel this way about him? Why couldn't it have been you?"

Hector took Mona in to a more firm hug.

" I dunno Mons, I really don't."

" How long do you think it will last, Donny?" April asked on the phone.

" To be frank, I really don't know, April," Don sighed. " but somehow I think that this is it. This time we have to be prepared for the worst…"

It was quiet for a while on the phone. Don could hear April take long breaths and finally cough before she spoke again. " Will Leo then be able to take his place?"

" I've talked to Leo, and he himself hope so," Don said. " But he and I both know that we have to be strong in this, and it probably will be different for us. I'm just afraid about how Mona will react, she and Leo are like what we used to know as 'Raph and Leo', try to get her to obey Leo, and she has never lost someone before. She only has a limited number of family members, and if one of them shall soon leave us…. I dunno…."

" It's all right Donny, you know we'll all be there for her." April said. " and besides she's a strong beautiful girl. Especially with a father like you… so what could possibly ever get to her?"

Don smiled. " Yeah, but you don't have to make me happy April," he said. " I am as happy as I need to be. Mona is my world, I would always be there fore here."

" I know, Don." April smiled. " So will I. But remember, if she ever gets cross with you again like today, you'll just know she will come to you again right away. She's a very passionate girl, very emotional…"

There was a short pause from both the phones. Don blinked a few times and leaned his elbow on the table and sighed. " I have to go now, April."

" I know don, I'm sorry. "

" That's ok. See you later."

" Yes. Bye Donny. Love you."

" Love you too. Give my regards to your husband." " click" Don hung up the phone and rubbed his face in his hands. He felt tired and used for the day. But he knew, that since Leo was recovering from his scars and infections, and Splinter was lying in bed, he had to get the help for the rest of the day from Mikey. He sighed when thinking of Mikey. His brother really haven't meant any harm in touching Mona, but somehow Don had felt so confused and hurt, so afraid to loose his daughter, that he had chosen to take certain actions in use, and punishing Mikey like he had done earlier that day, had only gotten Mona into an even darker mood. She was deffinently the most passionate and emotional girl Don had ever known and her cocky attitude could sometimes frighten him.

Don found it hard to be a single father to a young girl, and many years ago he had been able to read on his homework when it came to females and how they 'worked'. Mona was only seven when her first so-called 'time' had come, and it meant that in those periods, everyone in the Lair needed to be aware of the fact that almost anything could trick her off. But when she was over her time, she was that sweet little innocent intellectual girl that was more into science, knowledge and creating things from her own imagination, as he had always enjoyed to watch. But for all that he knew, was that his daughter meant everything to him, even know after she and him had had another big row…

Don sighed and stood up and walked over to take the coffee in the kettle he had made hours ago. He needed to be up running the rest of the day, but first he needed to get Mikey's help. He put the cup aside and walked out into the living area of the Lair and found his youngest brother sitting by the big drawing desk he had made for him years ago.

" If you come to put me in any more pains, Don, then let me just finish this outcast of my next page," Mikey said without looking up from the cartoon. " I need to be finished within the week."

" I'm sorry for later, Mikey," don said. " and no, I think you have had enough."

Mikey looked up. " You need to know I never mean any harm. It's just hard in her times…"

" Leo has told me the same," Don said and leaned up the table. " He says that even though he's devoted to Karai, he's still attracted by Mona in the times. But it is only natural… in the animal kingdom. Our human instincts finds it wrong… better she's with Hector then.."

" She's together with Hector!?" Mikey suddenly lived up.

" Er, yes," Don looked a little confused. " She feels more secure around him. You know that."

" Are you never afraid of the fact that she might.. I dunno, kiss him perhaps?" Mikey said.

" It is normal to kiss," don said raising a brow. " But I know she's not in love with him, so I never think about it."

" Oh, okay," Mikey sat back in the chair just as quiet and laid the pencil on the table. " I see…"

" Come on, Mikey. We need to be finish with the list before the day's over." Don said and walked to the garage. " The shell cycle has to be finished soon and first."

Mikey got up from the chair and followed his brother. " I still can't believe that you are actually giving Mona Raph's old bike, what if he comes back to claim it and it is suddenly pink?!"

" You and me both know that Mona doesn't like pink, Mikey," Don said and walked into the garage. He went over to the small table standing in the end of the garage and took on a pair of goggles and a pair of working gloves. " And we also know that Raph is never coming back."

**A/N:Tam da da da daaah! ****Hope you liked the beginning of my little new story. And don't worry, I havev't forgot about LBB, it is still in progress, but somehow I had to write this new story! **


	2. Memories

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They belong to their creators.**

" _**Small explanations" **_

_Something about the air in New York C__ity filled his lungs, not only with sod, but also intoxication of a familiar air of freedom, as he stepped inside the "gates" of what once used to be his hometown. Beside him, on the roof top, was someone he had missed for years. And think that an old ski mask and the dark hair waving in the wind, could give him so many forgotten memories back. _

" Oh my, I never thought that Donny would actually do that…. That he was capable of even thinking that," April took a sip of her coffee and looked at the mutant girl who was sitting by the table across her. " Has he ever done that to Mikey before?"

" No, never!" Mona said. " And I hope he never will again. Mikey was really in pain," Mona took a sip of her tea and leaned back against the kitchen chair as far as she could until her shell stopped her. "poor Mikey…"

" Or poor your father," April then said. Mona's face was suddenly lid up rather quickly.

" Poor my father!? WHY? He was the one that did harm to Mikey!" she said raising her voice.

" Why should you be feeling sorry for dad?"

April smiled leaning over the table and gestured Mona to do the same. " When a father suddenly realises that he is no longer the only man in his daughters life, he will be feeling that he now has a rival. In this case mikey, or even Leo or Hector. Anything, another man or boy, do to a fathers little girl, will trick off some sort of special protection device and immediately cause a father to act in such a way, that he will make sure his daughter will never be harmed again. In this case, with your father and your uncle Mikey."

" Wauw….." Mona gasped. " I didn't know. Where do you know, all of this from, aunt April?"

" I read about it shortly after Casey began to thread Marissa's first boyfriend and talk about him as a threat. " April sipped her coffee again.

" But he's clearly accepting his son in law now, I see." Mona said. " They are almost buddies."

"That's only because I've talked to him about it," April said. " at first he did not understand it, but agreed to be more aware of his actions. And now he is capable of controlling his feelings and I'm rather glad for the fact that they now get along."

" Marissa is lucky to have a mother like you to do that" Mona smiled a short sad smile and then lowered her gaze. April knew what that meant right away, and she put her coffee down.

" Mona," April stood up and came over to her adopted niece. " I know this is hard for you," she said and sat down taking an arm around the female mutant turtle.

" My birthday is coming up soon," Mona said her voice beginning to crack. " All I wish for is just to see her once. Or even a picture of her…" Mona's eyes began to be wet and a few tears rolled down her cheeks. She took the sleeve from her big blouse and dried them of, laughing a little.

" Look at me, I'm crying over a woman I don't even know. A woman I've never even met."

" Oh, sweet heart," April hugged the young girl. " You don't have to hold your tears back. Rather you get them out instead of having it hidden away inside…"

Mona sniffed. " Did you know her well April?"

There was something in the girl's eyes that made April suddenly curse her best friend far away over every hill top in the world. She hated to do this, but something in her told her, that she was not the one to change the way of how the things had been decided long ago. She only followed the flow, as she had promished Donatello to do.

" Yes, I did," she said. " She was my best friend." _Damn you Donatello, _she thought, _just tell her the truth instead of making me lie to this wonderful girl. _" She was very kind and beautiful, and you know that, your father told you that right?"

Mona nodded. " Yes he did. He told me that she was a lovely woman… and then she died giving birth to me…" Mona held a break. " But he never tells me about how she was. How much he loved her, or how her habits used to be… or just something like that. He changes the subject every time I ask him. Do you think he's afraid? Afraid of loosing her memory by talking about her?"

" Perhaps, sweetie," April said and sat into a more comfortable position cradling the young girl into her self as she had done so many times before with her own daughter when she had been at that age.

" Your father does not like to speak about feelings or nor does he like to show them. I think that is what keeps him sane. He misses your mother a lot, and so do we all."

" Sometimes it can be more harmful than good, to keep them hidden." Mona said.

" Who told you that?" April asked.

" Master splinter." Mona answered.

April smiled. She should have known that the old rat had something to do with the girl's influence of wise words. April kissed Mona on the forehead and looked outside the window hoping for a miracle.

Donatello laid down his, now even more dirty, gloves on the table and took of his goggles. His face was black with oil and dirt from the old motor bike, and the only place that indicated the real colour of his skin, was around his eyes where the goggles had sat during the hours in the garage working on the _new _shell cycle. He took a new clean cloth and dried his hands while he turned around to see how his brother was doing.

" Are you sure you can handle it on your own?" he asked.

Mikey who was taking off the back wheel peeped forth from behind the bike.

" Sure," he said. "there's nothing I can't handle!" he smiled.

Don smiled back. He suddenly felt more sorry than ever for causing his brother severe pains earlier that day. Mikey had never done it on purpose and he knew that… but he just couldn't stop thinking about his daughter being touched, not even by her own uncle. Don had felt his daughters female instincts being blossoming together with her age, the last few years, and to be around several males, were never a thought that would have stroken him as 'hard' for her, until the last years, when especially Mikey had been looking at her in other ways that usual. Don took his gaze back to his brother and sighed. They were both, together with Leo, not getting any younger. Time was beginning to reach them, but Don was sure of the fact, that since they were mutant turtles, their ages would probably differ from humans. They were younger mentally in this age than other humans were.

" Then I'll go and check on Leo," don said and went pass Mikey to the door that led inside the Lair.

" Have fun." Mikey murmured.

" I wont." Came the reply from Don as he went through the door.

Mikey sighed and lowered his shoulders. He placed the wheel up the wall and dried of his hands while looking over at that door his brother had just walked trough. He took a look back at the shell cycle as it stood there old and familiar, bringing back old haunting memories. It had been years since he had last put his eyes on it, and in some way, he must have chosen to forget all about the bike…. As he had tried to forget about its former owner. Mikey felt a little twitch in his heart and took in a long exhale. He suddenly became angry with him self, for the fact that, some old feelings from the past, he had tried to forget all about, began to come back to him as a long stream of forgotten memories. By looking at the shell cycle many memories began to fiddle in his head and play with his thoughts, and he took his eyes away from the bike. _Not now_, he thought, _please I could do without that right now._ His eyes found their was back to the shell cycle and Mikey knew that it was now impossible to hide away the memory that began to stir in his mind:

_**" Why do you want to tune it so much more?" the youngest of the turtles looked at his older brother, that had taken his red bandana off while he worked on the newly built shell cycle. **_

" _**Donny told you not to, it would be to risky!" **_

" _**Screw D**__**onny!" the older turtle said and raised himself from behind the bike and smiled as he watched his 'baby' in amazement. " He does not know the meaning of speed. If it went by his brainy mind, we would all be driving in freggin grandmother-speed from now on and till we die." **_

_**The older emerald green turtle turned to pick up his helmet from the table and took it on and pushed the shell cycle down from the pedestal. **_

" _**W**__**anna go for a ride?" the biker asked his little brother. **_

The image blurred and Mikey came back to the real world. Oh yeah, that memory was like torture to him, and so were the others that from once in a while peered through his mind. As he walked over to the pile of tires by the wall, he felt a little pain in his leg, and he thought that it was perhaps because of the leg that the memory came and went from time to time. It had been a harsh crash when the shell cycle had hit the gutter and swung the two brothers against the pavement. It was only Mikey who had been severely hurt. Raph had run to his aid immediately and brought him home, so that Donny could take a look at him. Mikey suddenly smiled. He could still remember the face Don had pulled at Raph when he had heard the story about the crash. And after Mikey had been operated and put to sleep, he had still been able to hear how Don, in one of those rare occasions, had yelled at Raph. It was one of those few memories he had tried to forget. Mikey missed his older brother… a lot! But he knew that that would never be able to bring him back, so he took a tire and walked back to the shell cycle saying to himself:

" Don't get soft now, old man. You need to finish this bike for your niece before her birthday." He placed the tire down by the back end of the bike and looked at the engine. " Better re-tune it."

Don was helping Leo out of the bed to stand by himself on his own two feet. It was a difficult task, since Leo's left leg had almost been cut half the way over during the battle in Nepal. Luckily Karai had been by his side and gotten him to safety, and for once, don had gotten some more faith in their former enemy. In his eyes, she was still a woman that could change side every minute, but Leo had somehow fallen head over heals in love with her, and now they tried to live life as a couple, without Splinter knowing it. Don had been the first one Leo had confessed to about Karai, and they had agreed never to tell Splinter. Especially Leo felt really bad about his decision, and Don knew that. But as Leo himself had told his brother, was that he was not getting any younger and neither was Karai. They had grown, become adults and decided to put all former honours and codexes behind them. No more silly honour, but instead honour from the heart.

Don helped Leo over in the temporarily wheel chair and his brother got a firm grip around the handles and sat down. Leo pushed himself back, and Don helped him with placing the bad leg in the special built wheel chair and used the buckles to hold it steady.

" What are you thinking?" Leo asked suddenly, while don was buckling the small belts.

Don stopped what he was doing and looked up at his older brother. " er…. Trying to figure out why they are so tight. Seemed to have done a mistake while making them…" He said and lowered his gaze to look at the belt.

" No," said Leo and gave Don time to stop what he was doing. Don's hands were suddenly weak, and he tilted his head back to look at his older brother.

" Why do you have to ask?" he said.

"Because, its my job," Leo said. " as your brother.. and leader…as a friend." Leo leaned down to Don, and held the conversation low. " I know you and Mikey like I know the back of my hand, like you know Mikey and I, and Mikey knows you and I. Something had been troubling you lately, Donatello…"

" Donatello." Don repeated. " you're even beginning to sound like master splinter now…"

" Donny, please." Leo begged. " no more secrets. Were too old for that."

Don sighed and buckled the last belt. He stood up and tried not to look at his brother. " Mona has kept asking me about her mother." He said. " and it is getting harder and harder for me to talk about it. Sometimes I just want to tell her the truth, but I am so imminently scared about the out come of telling her something like that…"

" The truth can sometimes be that one thing that helps us get on with our lives." Leo said.

" I know," don said. " And I know you definitely sound like sensei now!" Don walked around the wheel chair and got a grip on the handles and began to push Leo out of the room. " And he's still alive, no need to take the sorrows at hand."

Leo sighed as they rolled down the hall way to their father's room. He knew it was impossible to talk to Donny now. When his intellectual brother first of all began to avoid the subjects, he would continue avoiding them over and over again until even Leo would forget them. So he sighed and leaned himself back in the chair waiting and looking forward to talk to their sensei.

When Casey came walking in to the kitchen with little Betty on his arm, he did not notice that his wife was looking rather cross at him from the kitchen table.

" Why did you do it?" April asked.

Casey immediately turned around with his mouth filled of meatloaf, and a surprised look on his face. " April?" he said swallowing the bite. " what are you doing here?"

" finding out about your little _night out! _Playing Vigilante again?!" she almost yelled. " What were you thinking ,Casey? We agreed that it had stopped years ago!"

" But hun', I haven't!" Casey said.

" Then how do you explain, this!" April took forth the old ski mask and the bat.

Casey looked very stunned, and then suddenly he closed his eyes and sighed. He went over to the baby stool and sat his little red head daughter down, and walked over to his wife. He took her hand and wrist and found her eyes.

" Where are Mona and Hector?" he asked.

" Hector went to follow Mona home, they are probably in the sewers by now," April said. " why are you avoiding my question?"

Casey left out a relieved sigh and then looked into his wife's eyes.

" He's back, Ape."

" Who?" April's eyes flickered from side to side as her mouth silently began to open.

Casey lowered his gaze and then looked straight out pass his wife and over on the entrance to the kitchen. And since April tried to figure out what was happening, she then turned her head to see what her husband was looking at, and by the silhouette in the door, there was no doubt. April dropped the vigilante stuff , that belonged to her husband, and gasped by what her eyes saw.

" Hi April, it's been a while."


	3. Pictures

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They belong to their creators. **

" **Pictures of the past"**

Mona and Hector stood outside the sewer entrance to her home. He had followed her all the way, and they were now saying good bye. Mona's hug lasted longer than usual, and Hector had to give her a signal to let loose. She blushed a little when he saw how embarrassed she was, and he then padded her cheek.

" See you soon, Mona," he said.

" Bye, Hector," Mona kissed him lightly on the cheek and waved goodbye to her best friend. She watched him go back the same way down the sewer as they had walked just minutes before, and she turned to grab the handle of the little firm pipe. The brick wall to the Lair went to the side, and Mona walked in to what, she through almost sixteen years had called home; The Lair.

She guessed that her father and uncles might have gone to sleep by now, since it was very late, and therefore decided to take a quick trip to the kitchen and get a little something in her stomach before joining them in dreamland.

Mona walked into the kitchen, never thinking of why the light were still on, and walked straight over to the fridge and grabbed the milk. In the cupboard she found a small bowl and in the drawer a spoon. She loved cereals, and could eat it all times a day, and right now she was thinking about having her favourite one for a goodnight snack. She opened the high large cupboard and right away found the cardboard box which were closest to her heart.

As the cupboard closed she only shortly after she had seen him, did not have time to registrate that he was actually standing there, and the cardboard box flew several meters into the air. Mona her self tried to capture her breath once again and starred at the large turtle.

" Mikey!! Don't ever do that again! You scared the crap out of me!" she said with her hand resting on her heart.

Mikey just smiled, and grabbed her by the neck with one hand and as he leaned over to kiss her, his other hand soothed her cheek. It was about now, that one should have thought that Mona would push him way, but her own hands placed them selves gently on Mikey's plastron and she deepened the kiss. When Mona began to push herself further into the male turtle, Mikey had to remove his mouth with a heavy intake of air, and whispered loudly to Mona while putting his forehead on hers.

" you… you know what happened… last… last time, Mons."

Mona took her hand up on Mikey's bandage. " I forgot," she said and her own chest went up and down in heavy breaths. " just can't control it."

" Then let me help you." Mikey kissed her mouth gently, and held a firm grip on her arms. He placed them slowly and gently around himself and Mona leaned her head on Mikey's plastron. Mikey was no more than half a head higher than Mona, and she leaned her hips against his, as she drew herself into him.

Mikey felt how his lower part of his body began to get warm and firm, but he had promised himself never to take advantage of Mona. If she wanted anything she had to tell him, and he would wait for her. Forever…. He was almost seventeen years older than her, and pronounced to be her uncle, but fate had wanted it otherwise. In the a animal kingdom, some species never chose the mate they wanted, it was a primal instinct that would force two of the same species together, and make a bond so strong that no matter how hard one tried, it could never be broken. And Mikey, whom Mona called uncle, was not her uncle by blood, than he himself was a little nice kitten. He had chosen not to deny that decision that had been made for them, that day they both found out about their feelings for each other, since he knew it would rip him apart, if he would never be able to be with her.

They had agreed to take things slow, and somehow he only found that more exciting.

A few minutes later Mona and Mikey sat in the tv -area. Mikey was laying on his shell on the couch and Mona half the way up him playing with the orange bandana he had tied around his left arm. He had finally been able to calm her down and make her relax, keeping her primal instinct under control, and now he just enjoyed her touch.

" Mikey?" Mona said.

" hmm mmm." He replied.

" How much do you know about my mother?" she asked.

" Why do you ask?" he said still soothing his hand up and down her arm.

" hmmm it's just nothing, just wondering." She said quietly.

" I know you to well Mons," Mikey said, and sat up in the couch, so he could look her in the hazel brown eyes. " Is there something you are sad about?"

" Maybe," she said but then smiled at him. Her hand were moved from the orange bandana over his shoulder, gently rounding his muscles and stopped at his chest. Mikey looked down on her hand and then he took a look at the girl it belonged to. She was looking at his chest raising and falling chest very dreamingly.

" April said she knew her, that my mother was her best friend." Mona began. " Was my mother anything to you?"

Mikey sank once and then coughed, he had to remember what was his line to say. " y-yes, your. Mother. She she she was my friend too…" he said.

Mona's eyes looked up at him. " Oookey." She said sarcastically. " Was she just everybody's friend?"

" Yes, I remember her as that," Mikey said, feeling how the sweat on his forehead began to peep through his skin. God he hated this.

Mona raised herself from his chest. " I'm going to bed, Mikey. Good night."

" Night Mons," he said and leaned forward. They kissed briefly and Mikey saw her walk away from the tv- area and over to her room. When she closed the door, he fell back onto the couch and sighed heavily. This was getting harder and harder.

**I**n the flat. In the kitchen. In the Jones' family's home, an episode was taking place. It suddenly seemed like the world had fallen down onto the read haired woman's shoulders, as she still held her gaze at the familiar figure in the doorway to the kitchen. Her mouth was going up and down, but never really closing fully, and she just starred down right at the turtle in front of her.

" Raph? Is that you?" she managed to say.

"Please don't tell anyone I'm back, ape, I've explained it to Case all ready. I'm only here to say goodbye to Splinter." Raph said while she was just starring at him with her mouth agape.

The turtle still had his dark green skin and the dark brown eyes, but his whole figure suddenly looked so fully developed. He was no longer an inhabitant in a small boyish form of a young mutant turtle, his features were suddenly much more sharper and he had grown quite a big, muscular, the past fifteen years. He no longer wore his red bandana, it was tied around his neck, and on his body were a long new story of many visible scars from something he had might gotten from the fifteen years he had been gone.

Arpil ran over to her old friend and gave him a long lasting embrace.

" We've missed you so much," she said sobbing into his jacket. " Your brothers they they…. We've missed you, Raph."

Raph padded his friend in a long lasting embrace and once again remembered that scent he had forgotten all those years ago. Now suddenly, it all came back to him just by smelling her scent, and memories of all kinds grew with every breath he took.

" _**Raph?"**_

" _**Y**__**eah?" **_

" _**W**__**hy did you say that?" **_

" _**B**__**ecause I wanted to.." **_

" _**N**__**o really, I need to know the truth." **_

" _**T**__**hat is the truth, Donny. Why wont you believe me?" **_

"_**I**__**t's just…. Coming from you… I get confused, never thought that that would ever happened." **_

" _**T**__**hen you don't know me well enough." **_

" _**N**__**obody knows you well enough…" **_

Don woke from his sleep. He hid his head hard on the low ceiling, and grumped while he took a supporting hand to it. He had forgotten to sleep in the right of the bed again.

It had been late, after their visit in sensei's room, and Don had gotten Leo back to bed, but had also needed to check on Mikey, and see if he had been able to change the tires on the shell cycle. He now sat up in his bed, hating the fact that he was never able to keep himself from dreaming, and the thought of making a technical device able to keep him from dreaming began to stir in his head yet again. He sighed, now knowing that he would never get any more sleep that night. He turned his head to look at the digital clock. Only 03.05. typical, he thought and leaned over to take the alarm off, " Why do I always have to wake up at exactly this time?"

" _**Don please, don't do this!"**_

" _**I've made my decision! Now don't make it any harder on us!" **_

" _**Do you realise what you're doing?" **_

" _**Yes I am perfectly well aware, Raph. Now scat, and leave us alone!" **_

He rubbed his face with his hands.

" Please, more memories, I can't take it…" then his eyes fell on the shelf on the opposite wall. In his room were all sorts of gadgets, computers, inventions and many many _cleverbooks _as Mona had called them when she was little. But on that shelf, he was now looking at, stood the picture album.

Donny walked over and got it down. He smiled when he saw that dust, thinking how long it had been since he had looked on the pages. He had tried to hide it all away, but he also knew, that occasionally once in a while he had to listen to his father, Master Splinter.

" _S__ometimes you must look back at the past, to find the answers you seek in the future." _

So Don took the photo album and sat himself back onto the bed.

**M**ona couldn't sleep. Either. She had been tossing and turning in her bed for a long time now, and just felt that her whole body did not respond to the fact that she was very tired. Her mind were roaming with thoughts and deep dark emotions, and she just wanted to cry. She really HATED her 'times' they made her so emotionally restless, and sleep was never and option since I was there she usually had the most terrible nightmares that never made her get any sleep anyway.

The mutant girl sat up straight in bed and curled her legs up under her chin. She was now staring straight out at the picture on her door. It had been there forever, and eventhough she had tried, it never had been able to come of. That picture gave her thoughts and memories of a past she did not even know either, and many times she wondered why they all looked so happy. Had there never been any sorrow or pain back then? Had her father, uncles and sensei always smiled like this?

Mona got up from her bed, and walked over too look at the picture.

In front of four large mutant turtles, stood her grandfather. He had grey fur back then, and not almost white as I was now. His cane was placed in front of him, two hands resting on it. Mona looked up and on to Mikey on the picture. He must have been in her age when the photo was taken. She couldn't help but smile and wonder if all the stories of his silly attitude back then had been true? Now he was not at all comical, outgoing or teasing his brothers, he was just 'normal'. Sometimes Mona had seen hidden sides of his from time to time, and she had enjoyed his comical remarks, but smehow wondered if she was ever going to see his true self.

She then took a look at her uncle Leo, it was him who had told her, that after Raph left, Mikey had become a whole new and other person. But now when she looked at the picture of her leader and uncle, she could see how his crossed harms indicated his honour and devotion to their father. Leo was also only a child back then, some say he was more honour bound and controlling that he was now, but somehow Mona doubted that.

Her eyes were then placed on the image of her father. Donatello, young and plain. He had his purple bandana on, as his brothers had theirs, but somehow I made him seem more mysterious. Mona wouldn't say that her father was bad-looking, oh not at all. He was the one of his brothers with the most gentle look to his features and seemed to be a little taller than both Leo and Mikey. He was looking at April who was taking the picture, and Mona smiled. She had heard from several sources, that her father had always loved April a lot. Some might say, that he was in love with her, and Mona was able to believe that.

She then took her eyes onto the last turtle. Raphael had deffinently been the tallest, largest and most muscular of the brothers. He was standing there, high and tall and with a warriors look in his eyes. Mona noticed how dark green his skin were compared to his brothers, and it looked as if he almost smiled. By moving a little closer to the picture, Mona noticed something she hadn't seen before. She noticed that the eyes of her mysterious uncle were not on the camera, as the others were. They were instead moved a little to the right, resting on her father.

If Mona had been able to take the picture down, she would have done it, but the former owner of her room, had nailed it to the door.

" Dammit!" she said and looked closer. Yeah, Raphael's eyes were deffinently the ones looking somewhere else rather that the camera.

"**W**ell I never wrote you a letter, Raph, where should I have known you'd be? You just left without even saying good bye or leaving a note! We all thought you were dead!"

" Then who was it that wrote me to tell, that sensei was very ill?" Raph asked.

Casey held a hand on his wife's arm. " It was still NOT any of us!"

" April hun', don't,"

" No Casey!" April looked from her husband to Raph. " WHY did you leave!?!"

" It was complicated, April," Raph said, clearly trying to hold his temper and emotions back, which actually he succeed with quite good.

" Even more complicated, than saying: good bye, I'm outta here?" April continued.

Raph didn't answer, he just looked down at the 'very interesting' table.

April stood up and walked over to the window. " We've just been so scared." She said.

Neither Raph nor Casey said anything or moved from their spots. April still stood by the window and starred blankly out on the heavy rain.

This was when the front door opened and Hector came walking into the kitchen.


	4. Surprises

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. They belong to their creators. **

" _**Rows and Surprises"**_

In the lab, Don was sitting next to his daughter, showing her how to mix a few harmful chemical fluids. He gave the pipettes to Mona, after he had shown her what to do, and sat back onto his chair, with and arm resting on the table and another on the chair she sat on.

" Now show me if you can do it." He said.

" Dad, does this mean that if I do this right, ill get a reward for being so good and clever?" Mona asked. Don could see a smile coming to stay on her face, and he smiled back at her, knowing that this was something that usually happened near her birthday.

" What do you have in mind, sweetie?" Don played along.

" Well I've seen how you and Mike have been sneaking into the garage over and over again…. " Mona said. " but every time I go out there, I see nothing but the old museum object of and old truck. That is not what you are giving me for my birthday, is it?"

Don took off his plastic gloves and threw them into the little bin.

" Oh you are so nosy!" Don grinned and took a hand under his daughters chin and smiled.

" Wherever did you get your curiosity from?"

" From you I guess." Mona smiled. " There's probably no doubt in that… Leo says I am more curious than you were in my age."

" Probably," Don said smiling a little. " but now, Mona, officially you are having a class. Now show me what you can to."

Mona smiled.

In secrecy Mona began to study her own and her fathers skin colour of their hands, noticing once again, how dark she was compared to him and when she took the pipette down her father said:

" When you see it begins to turn into a gel like substance, you can turn of the flame….Mona…. Mona?"

" Uhm!" Mona suddenly woke up. " Oh yeah," she said and turned off the flame.

Don studied his daughter for a while and then looked at the substance in the little bowl. He then looked at his wrist watch. " How long have we been working to day?" he asked.

" Dunno," Mona said taking up her goggles to her forehead. "We started at around eight…"

Don's watch showed 11.17. " Perhaps we should take a break?"

" Good idea," Mona said and sighed. " When I come back, I'll try it again."

" Ok, " Don said and getting hug from his daughter before she left.

When Mona walked out of the lab, Don waited a long time to stand up. He wanted to make sure; she was out of reach before he did anything. And when he was completely sure that she was far away, he then went over to the medicine cupboard and opened it. His hands were roaming through the many small bottles until he found what he was searching for.

" **I** think I have been asking almost everyone I know about mother, and every time, I get the same answer. Especially dad keeps avoiding talking about her, and somehow I can't wonder if he's telling me the truth or not." Mona held a break and looked down at her grandfather on the bed.

" Did my mother and uncle Raph have an affair?"

The old rat looked back onto his granddaughter.

" What makes you think that Raphael might have had an affair with your mother?" Splinter said.

" Hmm. I dunnooo…." Mona shook her head and cut of their eye contact. " It's just…. It's just, when I look at the pictures of my uncles as teenagers, I can't help but think that my father and Raphael might have had some sort of rivalry going on. Rivals over my mother. In every picture I see, they seemed so awkward together almost as if the do not like each other…" Mona sighed. " and I can't help but see the resemblance I bear with Raphael."

" What resemblance is it you refer to?" the rat asked. Splinter was lying in his bed leaning up against the highly placed pillows, and looking at his granddaughter in the flash of the single candle light on the bed table. She held his hand rather tight, and he thought she felt that he would might loose her, if she let go. Mona was having a break from her class, she had had with her father in the lab, and she usually, like now, spendt her breaks with her grandfather. Splinter felt how he had become a little more ill after Mona was beginning to be more suspicious, but he could not help the fact that when he looked at her now, she looked exactly like Donatello when he had been in her age. The white cloak and the goggles on her head made the dot over the I.

Mona tilted her head. " I've just been hearing stories here and there… she said. And every time I have my 'times', I hear Raphael's name being spoken over and over again, and especially Mikey have called me Hot-Head Junior a few times, and I've heard Leo told me, not to pull a 'Raph', when I had my 'time' a few months back. And then when I was looking at the old picture in my room, yesterday, I could noticed, that I have almost as dark skin as Raphael…. Gran, did my mother love Raphael?"

Splinter did not know what to answer.

" _**I never wanted this…**__**" **_

" _**I know…" **_

_**The two people in the darkened room sat on the bed next to each other. **_

" _**This was never suppose to happen. This was suppose to be impossible…" **_

Don was sitting by the lab table, when his daughter came back, he tuck down his left sleeve a little more and pushed the bin further under the desk. Mona sat down on her chair heavily and then leaned over the desk, hiding her face in her arms. Don placed the device he was working on, on the table and walked over to his daughter.

" Wanna stop for today?" he asked.

Mona, still with her face on the table, nodded. " Yeah, dad."

Don raised his hands and placed them on his daughter's shoulders, and gave her a light massage.

" I feel so lucky to have a father who's both, a scientist, doctor and a geek." She said and sat back in the chair.

Don smiled at the remark.

" And I am lucky to have you for a daughter." He said. " I would never change that for the world."

Mona placed her hand on her father's fingers and smiled up at him. " I'm sorry." She said.

" Why are you sorry?" Don asked, still massaging his daughter's shoulders.

" For ever doubting the fact that you're my father." Mona said.

Don suddenly froze. He stopped massaging his daughter.

" Wh- what?" he repeated while looking at Mona. She then turned to face him.

" Well I had to get my doubts cleared " she said." And since you never want to talk to me about before I was born, my mother or even how you're lives were, I had to ask gran dad?"

" What? Why? " Don said stunned.

" Well I went to ask gran dad if he knew anything. So I asked him if Raphael and my mother had an affair."

" Wh- why?" Don stuttered.

" To get some doubts cleared." Mona said. " but don't worry dad, they are cleared now."

Don was still stunned, breathing rather heavily.

Mona stood up and walked over to her father. " I'm so sorry, dad, I didn't know that you would take it like this." She placed a hand on his shoulder. " I just needed to get my doubts cleared. That's was it. I'm sorry…"

**H**ector was looking rather bedazzled at the new turtle that was sitting by his parent's kitchen table. He was larger that the turtle's he knew, and he dark green skinned and more scarred.

" Uncle Raph?" he asked. Raph stood up. Hector walked closer to that uncle he had only known for one year of his whole life, that uncle he thought he was never going to see again…

Raph nodded. " My god, he's grown." He smiled and then looked at April and Casey. " How old is he now?"

" 17." April said.

" But how? But why?" Hector began. " They said you were dead! We even held your funeral and everything. How can this be?"

" He was never officially dead, Hector," Casey said. " We held a funeral for some of your stuff, Raph." Casey said turning to his old friend. " The children got to know it was you that was in the coffin. "

" Did you bury all my stuff?" Raph suddenly asked.

" No, not all of it." Casey said. " Why?"

" Thank god." Raph said and sighed in relief.

Casey raised a brow and so did April. But none of them had time to speak before Hector opened his mouth.

" How cool, if your uncle Raph, then Mona will be so thrilled to see you." Hector smiled.

Raph stopped his move to sit down.

" Mona?" he asked.

" Yeah, Anna- Mona," Hector smiled. " Don's daughter. My cousin! Wu huu! I'll call her right away." Hector took forth his mobile phone and was just about to dial the number when Raph took it out of his hand. Still standing in the same position, Hector looked back at the large turtle with a confused look in his eyes.

" No, little guy." Raph said and turned of the call.

" I don't understand." Hector said. " I know she'll be thrilled."

" Perhaps," Raph said looking at the phone and then giving it back to Hector. " But don't call her. Was it Mona? I want to see my family unannounced."

" We understand," said April from the window. She walked over to Raph and padded his shell. "Come on old friend. Let's get on the road."

_**He was looking at his sons, all four of them. In his image, this was peace. His family gathered. **_

" _**Mikey, gimme the remote!" R**__**aph bellowed beginning to fight his younger brother. **_

"_**No way, Hosé**__**, its mine for to night!" **_

" _**I**__**t's been yours all other nights! No it's my turn!" **_

" _**T**__**hen it means that it is more attached to me than you!" Mikey continued. **_

"_**grrrr!" R**__**aph growled. " gimme that!"**_

" _**NO!" M**__**ikey tried to avoid his brothers fist. **_

_**Leo who had been sitting on the floor doing his meditation called Donny." We need to get them apart. " Donny nodded, and Splinter watched from the shadows how his sons were able to help each other out. **_

_**Leo ran to get Raph away from M**__**ikey, but somehow it was impossible and he struggled, until Donny came. Don placed his arms around Raph's shell and squeezed and began to pull back. Leo got Mikey away in the minute that Raph was distracted by Donny's touch from behind, and the two brothers were taken apart. Leo and Mikey fell to the floor and Don and Raph remained on the couch. Mikey began to sob loud and clear and Leo started to comfort him. **_

_**Splinter could see that his second eldest son began to show regret**__**, and went down next to Mikey to comfort him, but Mikey pushed him away and immediately Raph got angry. He jumped up from the floor and ran to his room quickly followed by Donny. **_

_**When splinter later that day found his purple and red coloured sons, he saw them lying on the floor together faces to each other, Don holding a comforting hand on Raphs'. **_

_**Splinter smiled, they were like yin and yang, by heart connected**__**, even though it was rarely seen in the day time. Splinter smiled and closed the door again. **_

_**Without the yin, yang cannot exist.**_

**S**plinter looked at the picture on his night table. It had been taken years ago. He himself had found and old camera in the dumpster, still working, and taken the picture back then. His sons had been so small thirty years ago… they had been so peaceful.

Splinter smiled and placed his head back on the pillow again. He starred into the ceiling, trying to forget his pains, and remembered how he had told Mona, what he had been instructed to. By counting all of the inhabitants of the Lair , Splinter was the only one that knew the whole truth. Not even Donatello knew that he knew it, and that was also why he had never said anything. But Splinter had known it all along, the lies his sons were now living on, together with his grand daughter, were not helping in his illness. He wanted to feel happy and joyed for the fact that he would be able to die with his children around him… except for one.

Splinter once again turned his head to the picture on the night table and sighed.

" Come home my son, come home Raphael."

" _**will you agree never to tell her?" **_

" _**Y**__**es, yes I will… she will never know." **_

" Dad?" Mona took a grip around Don's left arm. " Dad, are you there?" Mona began to shake her father even more, and in the end she was afraid that she had shaken him to hard, because he suddenly just stood up and walked in a straight be line over to the sink. Mona saw as he put a hand to rest on each side of the sink as he had to have some support, and leaned over it, almost looking like he was about to throw up this mornings breakfast.

" Dad, are you sick?" she asked.

" I feel sick," he said.

Mona felt how her guilt began to grow. " I said I was sorry. I just had my doubts. I needed to know."

" Then why didn't you ask me?" Don began.

" Because you always avoid the subject!" Mona snapped back.

" Now listen young lady!" don turned around and looked very pissed off.

**L**eo was walking with the cane, Don had provided him with. He had Mikey to walk beside him, just making sure that the leader would not fall. They were headed for the garage, where Mikey was going to show his brother Mona's newly coming birthday gift, when they heard noises from the laboratory. They immediately agreed, by the look of their eyes, to forget all about the gift, and then instead finding out what was happening.

When the two brothers came to the laboratory, Mikey had to pull Leo back, so he was not hit by the empty bottle that came flying from the lab and out into the Lair.

" Jeez, what's happening in there?" Mikey said. His question was soon answered when Mona came walking out of the lab with long quick steps followed by Donny.

Mona walked to her room, but Donny had time to grasp her arm before she reached the door and he raised his voice loud and clear. " Don't you ever do that again, ANNA-MONA!"

Leo looked at Mikey. " My god, what has she done to deserve being called by her full name?"

" Made her father cranky." Mikey said. " For the second time in her entire life."

" But she haven't flooded the Lair this time." Leo said looking confused at the scene that was going on between their niece and brother.

" Is this a bad time?" a voice came from the entrance.

Mikey was holding Leo in a grip, supported in such a way, that he would not be able to fall at all, but fate had other plans. In that moment, he heard that particular voice, that he had tried to forget for so many years, he immediately dropped his brother and leader to the floor, and turned around to stand face to face with Raphael.


	5. Reunions

**Disclaimer: I still do not own the TMNT. They still belong to their creators…**

**( A little note for, **_**Arroba Dotcom**_**: Thank you so very much for all the nice reviews! They are more than just appreciated- they really keep me going! ) ) **

**( And a little note for, **_**Leonardosgirl1771:**_** Was really laughing my a#s and lungs off ahem when I red your last review! Even more power to keep me going! Remember: laugher is the best medicine;)) **

**Warnings: for cursing**

**Now for the story….**

" _**Reunions" **_

" Raph…..?"

Suddenly it was all quiet. If anyone had dropped a needle it could have been heard loud and clear and perhaps with an echo sound. Who knows? But suddenly four pairs of eyes were glued to the entrance. Eight eyes rested on the returned brother.

Raph himself were looking around, first at Mikey, who had just said his name. Then at Leo, whom Mikey had dropped on the floor. Then he raised his gaze at saw Don. Don's eyes were empty and did not show any emotions, not even surprise. Then Raph's eyes came to rest on someone he had never seen before.

Mona felt how the returned brother's eyes caught hers. She saw how they suddenly turned quite blank, and showed a well of emotions, that she had no idea what consisted of. Then he broke the connection and walked down on the steps by the entrance, all the three steps down, to place his shoe packed feet on the floor of the Lair.

He went over to Leo and held out a hand. Leo looked as stunned as ever, and Mona was so bedazzled by the sight, that she had completely forgotten about the row. And so had her father. She turned her head to look at Don briefly, and to her own surprise, she saw how a tear silently ran down her father's cheek. She gasped and wanted to reach out for him, to hold his hand, for never had she seen her father like this. But before she had time to even move her hand, her father was gone, heading straight to the garage. She had never seen him move so fast before, never, and somehow she was amazed by the speed. Was that some of the strange 'ninjitsu' Splinter had taught them all those years ago?

Leo took Raph's hand and was brought back up to stand. For a short moment, the two elder brothers looked each other in the eyes, and then they were suddenly resting in each others arms sharing a long warm embrace. Shortly after the youngest brother joined in, and forced his brothers to move their weight a little, and then when they had got their feet on the right place, Raph had to tell them that if they kept on doing this, he would be gone soon again, just in another way…

" Oh," Mikey said and smiled at his brother. The three brothers had to dry away all the tears they had shared, not knowing who's belonged to whom, and for a few moments all of them laughed a little.

" Nice to see you again, Raph," Leo said and sniffed.

" Yea…yeah…" Mikey coughed. " It's been so long."

" I know," Raph lowered his gaze. " You'll get an explanation later, but I'm not here to stay. I've only come back to say good bye to sensei."

Mona was still standing at the spot she had been in when Raph had first spoken. She was even standing in the same position. Her eyes were even still attached to where her father had last been seen. But this was when she suddenly felt a near presence, and then looked back at the entrance where Leo had fallen. But she was not able to look far, for suddenly, out of the blue, Raph was standing in front of her.

She now had to tilt her head a little and look up. Even though Raph was a little higher than her father, he was still amazingly tall.

He was looking, with his hazel brown eyes, down at the young mutant girl, whom suddenly seemed so mesmerized by his whole presence. Her eyes were darted directly onto his and he felt how her thoughts were spinning around in her head. And he couldn't help but smile. She looked so much like Don. She had the same expression in her eyes that he remembered Don had had, many years back, whenever he had seen a new shiny device or a great exciting alienated vehicle that he just had to know from the inside and out. The girl's skin colours was dark green but with a few spots of brown green, and her features were gentle and slick. Raph then took forth his hand.

" Hi…" he said. " My name's Raphael."

"_**Some**__** things will never change, Don, you know that." **_

" _**I just don't want to think about it. I still cannot cope with the fact that this is true. Why does it have to be like this?" **_

" _**I don't think that that is for any of us to decide…" **_

_**A short pause. The two turtles sat on the couch, both looking straight out into the living room, both wearing handmade tuxedos. **_

" _**I wish this could be different," Raph said again. **_

" _**Me too…" Don sighed. **_

" _**But remember, you will always be my best friend." **_

_**Don turned his head to look at Raph. " Friend? How can I be that to you now? After all this…" **_

**D**on sat up the wall in the garage. His legs were curled up under him, and his face was buried in his arms. Don clearly remembered the talk they had had all those years ago. Now he was back…. why had he come back!?

**M**ona took Raph's hand. In the moment her fingers touched his, her first thought was how remarkable soft it was, even though the man that owned it was as big as an ox and as rough as a brick wall.

" Hi," she said. " Mona…Anna-Mona " she almost whispered.

Even Mikey had to give a short laugh as he saw how Mona suddenly became little under Raph's presence. " Mons, he's not the Yeti. He's your uncle!" Mikey yelled.

" Have you lived with him for…what is it… how many years?" Raph asked.

" I'll be sixteen on Friday." Mona said.

Raph smiled. " I've lived with Mikey for almost eighteen years, you still have time to safe yourself."

" HEY!" Mikey said holding Leo probably after almost dropping him again. Leo looked rather angry. " I heard that, Raph!"

Raph smiled at Mona and then slowly their hands began to slide away from each other. Raph then looked around. " Where's Donny?"

Both Mikey and Leo looked at bit surprised over the vanishing of their third brother. " He was here just a minute ago." Mikey said helping Leo up a little more.

"Hmm." Raph murmured and looked a little around.

Mona was still starring at the 'wall' in front of her, totally mesmerized by that uncle she had always dreamed of knowing… that family member, she in her dreams, had thought she could compare herself to the most. In the back of her mind, a little voice told her, that it was all dreams… the fact was, as she herself knew, that if something was mysterious, and almost unreachable, one would always be attracted to this specific thing. And now this thing was standing like a pure _HULK _in front of her.

" I think he went to the garage," Mona then said.

Raph looked at her. " Really?"

She nodded. " Do you know the way? Or should I show you?"

" Show me," Raph said hastily. " Please?"

Two bumps sounded indirectly when both Mikey's and Leo's jaw fell to the floor. Raph was saying please?? Who was that they saw standing in front of their nice? It was deffinently not that brother they had used to know. They saw Mona walk away with their newly home coming brother and were as shocked as ever.

**D**onny's hands were filled with oil, dirt and other unrecognisable stuff, when he was working underneath the truck. He had turned the music up so loudly that he thought he was not able to hear anything from what was happening in the Lair- he didn't wanted too. The oil came and went, luckily he had his goggles on, but they were only shielding from the oil and not the memories that also came and went.

" _**No Rose…" **_

" _**A**__** flower?" **_

"_**Y**__**es…something close to the sun…" **_

Don dried away some of the oil. His chest raised and fell as if had he been running for hours on end.

" _**I don't think I can do this anymore…" **_

" _**I know… but we can't do so much about it now. This has to go to the end, there's nothing stopping this." **_

" _**I wish there was…"**_

" _**Are you sure?"**_

_**Pause. **_

" _**N**__**o…." **_

" For f#ck sake!" he said loudly to himself as he came to cut the oil line over. It splashed out with oil all over him, and he had to roll out right away. Don shook off as much oil as he could and walked over to take some cloth and dry it off as good as he could, but oil had a habit of sticking to you. His movements had been stiff and hard ever since he saw who had entered the Lair, for the first time in almost sixteen years, and now he was feeling how his anger, hate and doubts were beginning to turn into more emotionally soft feelings. The cloth was drying the oil of in slower and slower movements.

" _**Bet ya didn't know that!" **_

"_**Y**__**our kidding me." **_

" _**N**__**o, not at all, I did it!" **_

_**Embraces were shared and kisses exchanged. **_

"_**Congratulations**__**." **_

_**A kiss. " T**__**hanks." **_

" _**S**__**o what are you gonna do now?" **_

" _**W**__**ell first I want to take you with me…" **_

"_**T**__**o where?"**_

" _**That's a secret."**_

" Dad?" Mona's voice sounded from behind Donny. As a reflect Don turned around and stood face to face with …. Them! Raph and Mona stood side by side in the door way.

Donny was silent. He let go of the cloth that fell to the dirty garage floor, and his eyes fell on Raph.

" Raph…" he whispered.

Mona saw her father was quite stunned. It was a rare sight. She then looked at Raph, he himself, even though she didn't know him, looked a bit awkward too. Mona felt a little uncomfortable.

" Well," she said. " I think I heard Mikey. I'll just go and help him with Leo. Bye!" and she did not take her time to get out of the garage.

Raph and Don were now alone in the garage. It took a while for any of them to move, and the first thing Raph did was to walk over to the door and shut it. He then turned to look at Donny.

" Hi." He said. " Long time… as ;Mikey said just before." he raised his arm to scratch his neck. The silence was everlasting while Raph waited for an answer from Donny. In the way that Don stood, Raph could not see if he was going to run away very fast, or if he had just frozen to the spot, so he stepped a bit closer. " I've…!"

" **M**om, dad? Do you think Mona's happy now?" Hector asked while throwing the little ball back to Betty as she giggled. " You know with her uncle home and that?"

April turned on her front seat in the car and looked back at her teenage son. " Well yeah, I would guess so," April said. " But she first had to get to know him before she know if she likes him."

" Even though he can be such a brick wall of a hothead sometimes, you can't help but love Raph!" Casey said turning the car inside the driveway.

" Is it true that you and him went out every night to play some sort of 'super-heroes' many years ago?" Hector asked.

" Well that was a long time ago.." Casey began when April stopped him.

" Yes, it is such a long time ago that we have all forgotten about it! Come on kids, we need to get inside." April opened her car door.

Casey made a 'well-our-mother-has-spoken' sigh to his son and then smiled whispering. " Some day I'll tell you all about it."

" Thanks dad," Hector smiled and stepped out.

April was taking Betty out of the car, when the little girl suddenly dropped her ball. " Ball ball …." She shrieked with her little child voice.

" I'll get it," said Hector and ran after the ball and out of the drive way.

April was trying to calm down Betty while Casey locked the car doors. April walked inside with Betty, and Casey still stood outside and waited for Hector to come back. For a split second he took his eyes of his son, when suddenly he heard something he had never in his whole life thought he never had had to ever be prepared to hear.

A terrifying feeling crept onto him as he looked in the direction of the heartbreaking sound, and for once, he'd wished that April had never allowed him to put away his vigilante face on the shelf.

He could do nothing but watch as his boy flew across the street and landed lifeless on the opposite site of the pavement. The car that had hit him drove straight towards Casey. Casey roared, and jumped the side, and rolled over on the pavement. He had hid his head pretty badly and his eyes blurred, and he was only halfway able to see the man stepping out of the car coming towards him. The man was dressed in a long black jacket, having a pair of dark sunglasses on and his slick hair, that had a few grey stripes, were combed all the way back. He walked over to Casey and with a foot he pushed a little to his torso.

"Pathetic." Bishop said and in the next moment Casey's world turned black.

**M**ona was coming out of the garage, when the door was closed behind her. She looked back shortly and then over at Leo and Mikey who were still standing where she had left them.

" Why isn't he back with you?" Leo asked.

" Dunno," Mona said and came over to take a grip around Leo on Mikey's opposite side. She felt she was not in a talking mood all of the sudden, and she walked Leo over to a stool and sat him down.

" So what do you think of your uncle Raph?" Mikey asked smiling.

" Dunno," Mona said.

" Do you know anything at all?" Mikey teased.

Mona gave him an angry look and narrowed her eyes. " I know you're and idiot!" she said with a low voice and before Mikey could either say this or that, Mona felt a few emotional feeling was coming up inside of her.

" Your brother has been away for many years, you all probably presumed him dead. Shouldn't any of you be a little pissed of right now?" She raised her voice. " You know with him suddenly returning and you two acting as if nothing had happened? Just greeting happily loud and clear! "

" Mona!" Leo said and got a hand from Mikey to stand up. " Now listen young lady…" They both knew than whenever Leo had to lecture anyone or say anything, he thought was important he had to stand up, and it was probably a way of showing that he was in charge.

" No, Leo!" Mona snared. " I will not stand here and refuse to be a part of your little family feud. I've seen how you react to what I had thought should have been more emotional in either this or that way. If I had been any of you, or even my father, I would have been so pissed off right now! Just seeing him waltzing inhere, fifteen almost sixteen years after he disappeared and just want to say good bye to Splinter! That's outrageous! And don't get your self worked up over about the fact that the brother you have mourned over for so many years is finally home, because he's not! He's outta here as soon as Splinter dies! And then you can once again say good bye, brother, and hello misery once more!" Mona turned and walked over to take her jacket on. " I'm going, I don't want to see any of this f#cked up emotional nonsense!"

" Mona!" Mikey yelled before she was out of the door. Leo turned to Mikey.

" I think she's maybe got a point…" Leo said.

" You're back."

" Yes, I am..."

There was a sound of a long silence as the two turtles stood face to face. It had been over fifteen years since they had last laid eyes on each other, and it seemed like none of them dared to speak a first word. Donny was still trying to dry of the oil on his plastron in small movements and Raph was either looking down on to the floor or up in the ceiling. So when Donny's legs finally got to move a bit underneath him, Raph quickly said:

" Are you going to run away again?"

Don's eyes darted directly at Raph, and that particular movement of his eyes was the final step to 'utter' and total chaos. A look was shared that spoke it all, and the look only indicated something that had been hiding in their thoughts for many years. One can almost say for almost sixteen of them.

**M**ona was walking down the sewers swearing and cursing.

" Stupid, f#cking phone!" either the shell phone had a bad connection, or else Hector was too lazy to take it. It was the fifth time she had called him, she had yet again had his stupid answering machine, and right now she really needed to talk to him.

She walked a few steps further and then sat down on a little platform. She had come to a part of the sewers where she had only been a few times with Donny, and the reason for why she had chosen this place for now, was to be found in the fact that she had not had the time to decide in which direction to go before her feet, driven by her anger and mixed thoughts and emotions, had carried her away. She now sat with her legs over the edge of a running stream beneath her, and placed her hands behind her and looked up. She was so confused.

Mona had always dreamed of meeting her missing uncle and often imagined the meetings with him. The meetings had been joyful and fill with admiration for the mysterious _Raphael _, that had to return home as the lost son.

But in the moment she had seen how here other uncles had reacted to his homecoming, nausea had slowly sweaped over her; it had all just been so false! In all of her fifteen, almost sixteen, years she had had no choice but to stand and listen to her uncles talking bad about their lost brother. Both Mikey and Leo, had thought of Raphael as dead, and had said that if they ever saw him again, they would probably never think of him, as their brother anymore…. And now, not even and hour ago she had been witness to the most double moral concept she had ever seen.

Mona sighed heavily and picked up the phone again and dialled the number of her best friend. "Come on, Hector, I really need your advice…"

The part of running very fast, was only part of what Donny did. But this time he did not ran away to another hiding place, this time Raph was almost knocked backwards by the impact of the other turtle that clasped into him, and took a firm grip around his torso and shell. Raph was shocked; his hands and arms waving in the air above Don had stiffened on the spot.

" Don..?"

" Just don't say anything, Raph!" Don said as quickly as ever before. " Just hold me."

Raph never waited to hear that once more, and never even to hesitate. His arms and hands were placed around the other turtle.

Don whished for the moment never to end. But he knew deep inside, that this was risky, and still surprised by his own reaction, he began to loosen his grip around Raph without looking up.

" Can you forgive me Raph?" he asked.

Raph tried to get his voice back. A single tear had left his eye while they were embracing and then he dried it away. "Was that her?" he asked.

Don looked into Raph's eyes, glued to the spot. " Yes, that was her…."

" Then yes, Donny," Raph began to smile. " I can forgive you…"


	6. Talking

It was Raph who placed his hands on Donny's arms and as he did, a flow of words seemed to emerge from some of Don's oldest thoughts that had been well hidden for many years:

" Raph… so sorry, I reached a conclusion that night, but when I came to find you, you were gone… you had left! I wanted…. Tell you so badly that we no longer had to play that stupid game…but you….gone!"

" Shhh, hush, Donny." Raph said softly to the turtle standing in front of him. " It's ok now. I understand."

" No you don't!" Don said suddenly beginning to use a more open body language. " I am the one to blame! It was my stupid f#cking fault that we've ended up in that mess! I was SO ignorant!"

" We both were," Raph said. " but that does not change the fact, that I knew you did what you did because of the sake of the family."

Don who was walking a little around on the floor stopped and looked at Raph. He was about to open his mouth, either to answer him back or just come to a conclusion that made their little stride about the one who was to blame stop, but then suddenly they were interrupted.

" RAPHAEL!"

Both Raph and Don turned their attention to the door. " Leo?"

" I have a few things I would like to talk to you about!" Leo said coming over to Raph humping on the cane. He stopped right in front of the dark green turtle, whose eyes had narrowed a little.

" Where the hell have you been?" Leo uttered so nicely.

Raph's narrowed eyes were squeezed tighter together. " None of your business, Leonardo." He said.

Don, who was standing on the front line, watching his two brothers, began to have a feeling of recognition from the old days, when they were young, and had studied his brothers movements whenever a row or a fight was coming on. And right now, they were both easily comparable to two male lions.

" This time it is sure hell my business!" Leo continued never taking notice of how stiff Raph was becoming. " After you scattered without even so much as to even say good bye, our family had to be picked up piece by piece! Because of what Bishop did to us! And you were not there to help at all! April had to stand in for don, because Don was not capable of doing anything in his…."

" LEO!" Don raised his voice looking at his leader and older brother. "That's enough."

Raph had shortly turned his head to Don..

" Don…?"

" Don't worry about it Raph," Don said quietly.

" Ro Raph, don't sneak out of this one now." Leo said and immediately he got Raph's attention.

" As I told ya before, LEO, I am not staying!" Raph yelled. " So just act like I am not here! Okay?! Splinter is my only concern now."

" Why Raph? Why should we act like you're not her?! Have you any idea of how much heartache you've caused this family? The feelings we all had back then after you disappeared have taking many years for us to deal with! And now, after we've finally managed to try to forget about you. You come back! For what? For Splinter? For sensei…?"

" For my father." Raph said.

" Oh! So he's your father all of the sudden." Leo said and then his eyes began to cast lightings. "Does a son walk out on his father when he's in most need of him? You broke splinters heart!"

" Don't start that, Leo!" Raph snapped back his fists tightening up. " I did not come here for that! Besides, I am not the only son who has broken sensei's heart! What is it with you and the Foot? Has Karai suddenly persuaded you to lead the Shredder's old army…!"

" It is not like that, Raph! " Leo bellowed back, almost getting all red. " The Foot is on our side now. They've been that for fourteen years! And yes, I am their leader now, together with Karai!"

" So the lady finally got to you!" Raph sneered and turned his back at Leo. " I should have known what that woman was capable of. Seducing the powerful Leonardo and get him wrapped around her little finger!"

" That's enough Raph!" Leo yelled. " You are avoiding the subject, exactly like you did in the old days! And this time I am not going to bring back to the past, where I could never get you to cooperate."

"And what makes you think that you can't do that now?" Raph turned slowly against his brother.

" I have changed." Leonardo said.

Raph did not have time to register the fist that came from his older brother and collided with his jaw. Raph flew backwards and landed on his shell up against the truck.

" Raph!" Don darted over to Raph and got him to sit. Raph began to growl and Don dried away the blood that came from Raph's mouth with his white cloak. Leo stood back at the same spot, with his eyes narrowed, and his fist in the air where it had hit Raph's jaw.

" My sons," a voice said from behind them.

Six eyes were immediately turned to the old white rat standing in the door way.

" Let me talk to Raphael." Splinter said.

" But sensei.."

" No Leonardo. " Splinter came walking with unsteady steps over to his three sons, and took Don's place.

" You ought to be in bed," Don said to the rat. Splinter did not answer and Don knew he wouldn't.

" Donatello, take you brother Leonardo outside and close the door. " Splinter dried the last blood of Raph's mouth.

" Yes, sensei." Don walked over to Leo and took an arm under his. The two brothers both knew that their sensei had spoken and they did as they had been told to do.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**M**ikey came walking up behind Mona, who was still sitting on the pedestal by the sewer stream. He sat down next to her without uttering a word, and she leaned her head against his shoulder when he had come to sit. They sat leaned up against each other for many minutes, just watching the stream of sewer water flow by, and changing positions once in a while, a hand there and a foot there, until Mona said.

" I've tried to call Hector. But he's not answering." There was a short silence and Mikey took a deep inhale.

" He's probably forgotten about turning the mobile on," He said and raised a hand to sooth Mona's shoulder.

" Yeah, probably." Mona said watching as an old bike suddenly went with the flow through the water, and then she looked up at Mikey. " Is it strange to see him again?"

Mikey smiled and snorted a little. " Yeah, it is. Never thought I should ever again…"

" Then why are you not there with him?" Mona asked.

" Leo thought about what you said," Mikey said and heard a quickly remark from Mona and continued. " and I saw him getting into a rare mood I haven't seen him in for years, so I knew what that meant…."

" Let me guess," Mona said and sat up facing Mikey. Her hand found his and their fingers slid through each other while her eyes were looking at how their green hands became entangled. " I've heard the stories from my uncles and father," she said. " and since it evolves Raph and Leo, I guess some sort of major row perhaps?"

" Rather; mega, huge, major row or even fight!" Mikey said a bit surprised at the fact that he hadn't thought about that before. " Oh dear…"

" He seems like a guy capable of giving you a nice knock-out," Mona said.

" Oh who? Raph?" Mikey asked. Mona nodded. " He's very strong right?"

" Yes, that's something he's always been. But he seems to be a lot bigger now," Mikey said taking his eyes to look into the thin air. " None of us has ever been able to beat him in battle. Except from one at the battle Nexus…"

" Yeah, you told me about that," Mona smiled. Her hand let go of Mikey's and then was laid on his plastron where she traced the outline of his muscles with a finger. " My big old warrior mate."

" Yeah, I was young back then…" Mikey said with a long sigh.

" Young!?" Mona snorted. " How old are you now? It's not like you're cheesy old! Was it thirty-four you became last time?"

" Please don't mention it, " Mikey said theatrically. " I feel so old compared to you."

" Oh stop it, you big turd." Mona said smiling.

Mikey felt how utterly arousing her touch was as she took her attention to his plastron, and once in a while he tried to hide a little yelp as Mona touched a soft spot.

" I love you," she smiled and began to trace the finger lower and lower down his plastron, stopping after Mikey let out a higher yelp than the others before, and then he took her hand and kissed it.

Mona smiled a little bit disappointed and sighed. " Mikey, soon…"

" Yes, Mona, soon….," he said and kissed her hand again.

Mona then took his hand and placed it on her cheek where she felt the warmth of his body and turned her head to kiss it with a little moan. Mikey's hand then traced her jaw line and he tilted her head back and leaned himself further against her. He touched her lips with his own and drew her into a very passionate kiss. When Mona's hands began to seek their way over to Mikey's plastron and go further down than she had ever done before, both of them interrupted the kiss at the same time.

" Ok," they both said while feeling how their breathing had increased and they held a firm grip around each others hands. " Oh man, I hate being half turtle half human!" Mikey said.

" Instincts and conscious mixed together," Mona said sarcastically. " What a wonderful emotional feeling to have." Their heads touched.

" Yeah," Mikey said. " Perhaps we should get back to our little family reunion?"

" Ok," Mona said. " Why not, I could use my thoughts elsewhere."

Mikey got up and gave Mona a hand. He then kissed her gently on her snout when they had come to stand and she blushed a little. MikeY grinned. " Me too." He said and gave her his arm, and they turned their noses back to the lair.

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX **

_**S**__omewhere unidentified…. But very dark, and very cold. _

Casey awoke from a sleep he himself would have enjoyed to fall into again. This was not the way he had ever whished to awake from a terrible nightmare. He felt how a big gag in his mouth had torn his mouth apart and made his jaw awkwardly sore. The taste of iron in his mouth was so huge, that he was afraid he was still bleeding, but from what exactly, he did not know. Everything on his body hurted, even his hair. He tried to remember what had happened, while he felt how tight the ropes were around his wrists and ankles. He tried to remember why he was here and why he had been….

" Oh god…" he then began to cry. " Hector…."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

Don stood by the hot teakettle that had just made it self noticeable by making a long unmistakable sound of telling, the two turtles in the kitchen, that the water had now reached the 100 degrees Celsius. Don had a small kitchen towel he took the kettle's handle with and placed it on the table. He knew that Leo had to have his green tea made, when the water was under a 100, so therefore he took the opportunity to dwell on a few thoughts that came running to his mind, thoughts from the past… but he was not allowed to think for too long about them, since his older brother was sitting talking loudly by himself.

" …. He has got a lot of explaining to do ,yes he does!" Leo tapped his fingers on the table and then suddenly a fist formed and flew hard down on the innocent table. " Fifteen years of pain and coping with not knowing if he was dead or alive, and now he comes waltzing in just to wait for Splinter to die and then take off again! That monster!"

Don took the kettle and poured the hot water over into the tea cup. " Sixteen…" he said.

" What?" Leo raised his head looking at Don.

Don took the tea cup and sat it on the table for Leo to have. " He's been gone sixteen years."

" Oh," Leo took a look at Don as his brother turned his back to him and went over to the stove once again. He took up the tea cup, while the silence continued and studied the old Japanese china.

" To think that Splinter found this in a dumpster many years ago…" Leo then said and took a sip of his tea and made a face that showed it was still to hot. " I would have brought something back when I went to Asia, but by being the co-leader of the Foot, you don't have time to shop. Besides who wants to see a big turtle like me in a china shop?"

" You've could have asked Karai to do it." Don said. "When you two settle down you can go buy all the china you like to, then the Foot can have a new leader…"

" Shh. Not that loud, Don." Leo said holding a finger to his own mouth. " Splinter still has the best of hearings even though he's old. Besides, we've only just recently talked about it, it does not mean that it will happen just in the moment we loose sensei. That would be wrong."

" I know Leo, " Don said sitting down opposite his brother. " but how long is it that you two have been sneaking behind sensei's back?"

" Almost twenty years," Leo said in a hushed voice. " But not now, Don, not here. The last thing I want to do is to make sensei sad. "

The silence fell as if they had both been robbed of their voices and inner thoughts. Then Leo took a sip of his tea and reluctantly asked his brother. " Do you think…." He held a break. " do you think that with Raph returning, he will perhaps say good bye to this world as a happy man?"

" Maybe," Don shorted his sentence. " that is a possibility."

Leo looked down. " That's good…."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx**

" **I**'m sorry, father." Raph said.

" You don't have to be sorry, my dear son." The old rat said. " You had your reasons for leaving."

" I might have to guess you know why…" Raph said tilting his head to one side.

" Perhaps…," the old rat said.

" For how long?" Raph asked.

" Always," the rat said.

Raph raised a brow to look at his father and sensei. " Hmm." He smiled touching his jaw lightly. " I should have known Leo still knows how to give one a proper fist. He's the leader of the Foot now, I've heard. Still in training… as always." Raph held a short break. " He never used to be the one to hit first. He's changed."

" So have you." Splinter said.

Raph turned his heard to look at his father on the seat in the truck. " You think…?"

" Whatever you have been doing for the past many years, has given you tolerance and patient, I can see it on you even now," Splinter smiled. " It suits you my son."

Raph tried to give a light smile, but his jaw was hurting really badly.

" I've done things father," Raph then said lowering his head. " things I've not been proud and still not am… but I have managed to spend time…. Forgetting…"

" And yet, you haven't forgot about you family," the rat said.

" I've missed your wise words," Raph's eyes smiled. " many times I've been in need of them. Thinking what would you have said to me, that could keep me from not going insane. I think it was the memories of them, that made me come back."

Splinter placed a hand on his son's shoulder. " I'm glad my son," he then gave a big sigh and coughed a little.

"Was it true what Leo said?" Raph then uttered looking up at his father. " Was it really that hard on you all?"

The old rat lowered his gaze. " Sometimes old haunting feelings should stay hidden in the past for never to bee cast into the light again." Splinter took a firmer grip around his cane. " Only one have never been able to put most painful memories behind him as we others did. He was reminded of you every day… more than the rest of us…"

Raph's eyes began to sting and a few chills came running down his spine. He felt how his muscles tensed and how his breath became uneven. " Not a day has past without the same heartache returning different hours of the day for sixteen years. But I did not return sensei… I never wanted to, but I never gave it a thought that you might get old some day… so when the letter came, I had to come. "

" Letter?" the old rat asked.

"Somehow someone knew who I am and where I was," Raph said. " one day a letter came addressed to me, telling you have been diagnosed with cancer. That was when I had to get back here. I took a big risk by coming here, but for all I know, or what they might do to me, I find it worth it…..to be here again" Raph placed his hand on his father's paw. " Please remember me as the person you've always known…"

" My son…" but Splinter was interrupted.

" Please father." Raph said. " You don't want to know the new son you now gained… the hot headed son you once knew has changed… just remember me as I was before I left."

" Sad, drunk and hopelessly in love…?" Splinter then said. Raph sighed.

" My son," the old rat said, coming down from the seat with a little help from Raphael. " No matter what, and whatever this 'new' you are, I will always be you're father. Nothing will ever change that."

Raph could no longer look the old sick rat in the eyes. " You don't know what I have done…"

" Then tell me!" Splinter demanded. The rat took a grip around his son's jaw and turned Raph's head to gaze at himself so their eyes met. Raph's eyes were strong, but filled with fear and torment. " My son, it is my right to know," he said. " But not here. Follow me back to my chamber, inhere we will be able to sum up for the last sixteen years."

Raph released a tear from his eye, which Splinter dried away. " Don't be afraid, Raphael. No matter what, you will always be my son."

**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**

**M**ona and Mikey finally came back to the Lair and found Leo and Don in the kitchen. Mona went straight over to her father and without a word embraced him in a hug. Don embraced his daughter and felt how tight she held him." I'm sorry daddy," she said mumbling into his while clothes. " I don't want us to fight. I'm sorry for what I did."

" It's ok, Mona." Don said holding on to his daughter. " Forgive and forget, right?."

Mona let go of her father. " All right, " she said sitting down on the chair next to him and two seconds after Mikey joined the other three at the table.

" Are they still in the garage?" he asked.

" No," Leo answered. " They just went to sensei's chamber."

" Why?" Mona asked.

" Dunno," Leo said starting to drink his number two cup of green tea. " but we have not been allowed in there. Sensei said that they had something important to discuss."

" After all these years there must be a lot to discuss," Mona then said. " Do you think we're ever going to see gran again before he's done with Raphael?"

" Maybe, sweetie," Don said and glanced over at Mikey, whom he had noticed looking at Mona for quite a while now. " Well then Mikey, now when the garage is free, don't you think that you should go spend some time out there with something you're working on?"

" Oh!" Mikey slipped out of his gaze at Mona and looked at Don. " Oh yes, yeah ahem yes, my thing I was working on. Yes, I'll have to go now," Mikey stood up. " See you later guys." He then walked out of the kitchen again.

" Mona, is Mikey bothering you?" Don asked.

" No not at all," Mona replied. " But something else is; I've been trying to reach Hector for a while now, but he's not answering the phone. It's not like him. I'm worried."

" Is the signal okay?" Don asked.

" Yes, the signal I more than fine," Mona sighed. " it's just… I have a bad feeling about this."

" I'll send a few Foot ninjas to the place," Leo said and took forth his shell cell.

" Wow," Mona said. "Thanks uncle Leo."

" You're welcome, Mona," Leo said. " A favour for a favour."

Mona smiled. She remembered what Mikey had said about how Leo had been thinking about what she had said earlier that day about Raph. While Leo dialled the number, Mona noticed that her father had left the table and was now standing over by the sink washing up his cup. Mona watched him for a while and then noticed something odd. Her father's movements seemed a bit shaky while holding on to the washing brush, and a feeling of worry crept over her.

" So Mona," Leo said. " Karai is sending a handful of the ninjas to the flat, just to get your doubts and bad feelings at place."

" Thanks," Mona said taking her attention to her uncle for a short while. " I'm glad you did that for me."

" You're welcome." Leo smiled. Mona smiled shortly back, but then once again looked at her father.


	7. Once again

_**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. It **__**belongs to their creators. **_

_**Thank you again for the nice reviews ;)**_

_**Enjoy – MM **_

---- _Somewhere unknown -------- _

" Were you not suppose to stick to the plan?" A voice came from the shadows.

Bishop who stood by the large window over looking the city turned to stand face to face with the owner of the voice.

" No," Bishop said. " Not necessarily."

" Why not?" The voice from the shadows said, sounding rather annoyed.

" It's complicated," Bishop said and walked from the window over to the table in the middle of the room. " You see, to follow the plan, a few changes has to be made for it to work probably."

The voice kept quiet, but Bishop knew his companion was thinking. Bishop therefore took his time to take off his coat and hang it over the chair by the table. " You see, I have and old score to make up for, before your plan can be taken in hand."

" I know you have an old shared past with the assassin and his family, but that does not mean you are allowed to change the plan." The voice said.

" Are you always this picky?" Bishop asked and crossed his arms. " The plan is good, I told you that, but to make it even better, and for the both of us to get our revenge, I need to take certain opportunities on my own."

" Such as eliminating the Jones- family?" The voice asked. " What do they have to do with them?"

" The Jones' are the freaks communication to the outer world, in scientifical terms you can call them their; cytokines. They inform them most of the time when something 'bad' happens… I had to make sure that they were unable to do so… or else the plan will be put on a great risk."

" And the Foot?" The voice asked. " Karai and her minions had been snooping around by the store. They know that something is up…."

" Don't worry," Bishop said. " didn't you say that your sweepers would take care of them? Making it look as if nothing had happened?"

" Yes," the voice said. " But you never mention that the Shredder's daughter would be involved too… What is her connection to them?"

" She's the new leader of the Foot, she leads them together with one of your socalled; _assassin's _brothers. " Bishop smiled. " He and kKarai has some sort of a romance going on… perhaps something to our advantage it could be thougt?"

" With both the Foot and the turtles out of the way…. Hmmmm. It sounds like a good plan." The voice said. " That could mean the beginning of a new era…"

" Yes, my dear colleague," Bishop said and opened the cupboard behind him and took forth two glasses and a bottle cognac. " You just make sure your men know what they are doing. And sticking to the plan!" he said while pouring the cognac into the two glasses.

" Certainly." The voice said.

Bishop smiled and nodded to where the voice was and went over with a filled glass. " A toast to victory and revenge."

A rather scaly hand with long yellow nails came from the shadows and took the glass. " To victory and revenge. And the beginning of a new era for both of us."

" And the human race." Bishop said and put the glass to his mouth.

The other glass found its way to another mouth, belonging to a broad mouth filled with long sharp fangs.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

The three turtle brothers, and the young turtle girl, had been summoned to the chamber where their master, father and sensei lay. As they entered, they all noticed Raph standing up right by their father's bed holding the old rat's hand. Leo began to look rather irritated, but he managed to keep in control as long as his father was watching. Don walked over to the other side of the bed opposite Raph and quickly took some check ups on Splinter, he smiled and said he was doing fine, when he then thereafter stole a little look from the home returned brother who was looking at him. Mona then walked in to the chamber closely followed by Mikey, who placed himself so close to her, that he could take her hand and slide it behind them so nobody noticed their little affection for one another. It was then that Splinter began to talk.

" My sons," he said and then smiled to Mona. " and dear daughter, I brought you here to listen to what I have to say." Splinter coughed shortly. " ahem.. I know that some of you might find it a bit strange to see Raphael again, and some of you might feel a bit uncomfortable about it…"

Leo snorted shortly, and he and Raph glanced at each other.

" … but I would like you to welcome him home." Splinter said. " he has to be treated as if he never left. " There came a few remarks from the other turtles, but Splinter held up a hand. "please, just until I die, treat him as your brother. Give him shelter, a place to sleep and do not, and I mean, do not, push him away from your hearts."

" Too late for that!" Leonardo snorted.

Splinter lowered his gaze and suddenly looked all sad. When Leo saw this he knew he had gone to far, but something in him was still very angry with the requests they had to go by for their newly returned brother. " I'm sorry sensei," Leo said and lowered his gaze too. " how do you expect us to treat him when he just left and made us all so simply vulnerable for such a long time? Think of what we went through!"

" Find a way," Splinter said. " and you must also find a way to handle things when it will become your turn to hold this family together, Leonardo, but in the way that you now are taking this, I begin to see where this so called family of ours are going."

That put a torn into Leo's heart, and suddenly he felt very small. Splinter continued and turned his head to Donatello. " Don't we have and extra bed in the laboratory?"

" Yes," Don nodded. "I'll get it ready."

" Thank you," Splinter said. " and remember, Raphael is home, the same way as he had always been…and in our hearts."

The five turtles nodded. Leo was the first to walk out of the chamber after Splinter had fallen a sleep, and he shouted something about finding Karai and see what she had to report.

Mikey then looked at Mona: " Think he's pissed off or what?"

Mona just smiled and grinned a little before she let go of Mikey and walked over to Don and placed a hand on his shoulder. " Dad," she said. " how's gran doing?"

" He's doing as expected." Don said smiled to his daughter, and placed a hand on hers. "Why don't you and Mikey get some food ready, then I'll show Raph his new room."

Mona blushed and looked over at Raph. " Yeah, I'm sorry," she said to him knowing that Raph had heard what they had said. " But I got you old room I was told. If you want to I can sleep in the lab...?"

" No no that's fine," Raph smiled. " I'm perfectly okay with the lab-bed, besides I don't sleep much anyway."

" Oh christ!" Mikey said and put his hands to his mouth. " Raph. Don't. Sleep. So. Much??" He went over to Raph and began to pick him with a finger on the dark green skin. " Are you sure you're Raph, or are you just a clone?! You know I read the clone saga in my Spiderman albums and it ended rather strange…"

The arm Raph used came out from nowhere, and everyone besides himself, suddenly stiffened and Don were almost ready to grab that bo staff that he had not used for almost seventeen years, to go and defend Mikey. But when Raph began to laugh and Mikey tried to stop his brother for using his hand to rub his head, Don sighed heavily and smiled. It had been a long time since he had seen this.

Don felt the mattress sink a little from the new person who sat on it, and when Mona leaned against Don he wrapped his arms around her. " Was it like this in the old days?" she asked. " Was Mikey always so filled with wit and funny remarks?"

" Most of the time…Perhaps you will get to see some new sides from all of us," Don smiled.

Mona smiled back and Don, not noticing that Raph have had his eyes on them the whole time.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

Leo was met by one of the Foot soldiers near the Second time Around, April's store, and the Foot soldier greeted his leader with one of those special greeting, Leo had never come to understand.

" What is there to report?" Leo asked, hiding a little bit more under the coat and hat.

" Mistress Karai says, that the place is clean. No sign of battle. Not a sign of any of the Jone's family members either and their car is gone too." The foot soldier said.

" The flat?" Leo asked.

" Nothing suspicious." The foot soldier replied.

" Hmmm…" Leo began to walk towards the shop and the foot soldier followed. "What about the shop?" he asked.

" Mistress Karai is in there now." The foot soldier replied.

" Good," Leo said and then looked at the foot soldier. " Thank you, you did well."

" Always an honour," the Foot soldier said and disappeared.

Leo watched as the solider retreated, and once again he whished that he was able to move as lightly as one of them. He never wanted to be born with a heavy shell on his back.

Leo turned around and walked into the shop. Karai was standing near the desk, having a hand to lean on the counter and the other on her hip. She was looking around at the shop while the other Foot soldiers ware walking around taking notes on everything and looking through the videotapes from the surveillance cameras. When Leo silently walked up towards her, she took her hand from the counter and looked at the turtle.

" Leonardo," she smiled, raising her arms to give him a greeting. This was something new they had begun to do, and even the foot soldiers had had to get used to the fact that their mistress had changed a little since the turtle had walked in and made an alliance with them. Some of them had actually found it easier to live with her, and to serve her… until a few months back, when something new happened to her.

Leo was no longer able to feel her in a whole embrace, since it was now clear for everyone that she was expecting. He kissed her gently and took a hand down to gently rub the little belly she had gained. " How are you feeling?"

" Better," she smiled taking his hand. " It's not so difficult anymore."

" Did the medicaments Don gave you help?" Leo asked.

" Donatello might win the noble prize for removing all pain and uneasiness," she said. " He's really helped a lot…. Thank you for persuading him to help out. Even though I am not sure why he was so eager to do it…"

" Let's say that he has his reasons," Leo smiled. " Besides, he's looking forward to having a little niece or nephew."

" It's twins…" Karai suddenly said. The three fingered hand she had held for a little while now, were suddenly slipping away from her grip, and she had to take and arm around Leo before he fell down. " Dr. Chaplin said that you might do this, and that I had to break it to you gently." She said.

When Leo had regained the feeling in his legs, he was looking at Karai with such shocked eyes that it made her all blush. " I could not help to wonder why it had grown so big all ready. I had to ask him and then he confirmed it…." Karai looked away shortly and sighed. " I've always thought that I should lead the Foot after my father… until I, myself, would go and join him in death… but somehow, it seems, that my plans have been altered with… " she looked up at Leo. " I knew that back then, when we both signed the peace contract that those plans would probably have had to change a bit. But not so much as to this…"

" Karai," Leo said and looked her in the eyes. " Are you regretting this? Because if you are, you need to tell me…"

" NO! Leonardo! Never!" she said right away without a moment of hesitation. Her hand went to her expanded belly. " I knew back then that this was possibly something that could happen."

Leo was now the one who looked shocked again. " I never knew you were thinking that… all ready back then," he said.

Karai took a hand and cupped her lover's face. " I've always loved you Leonardo. I've just been to dumb folded not to listen to my heart… and if I had done that sooner, you would probably have had been standing right here with a little girl in your right hand and a little boy in your left…."

" Schh, hush Karai," Leo said taking a hand for her mouth. " don't talk about what could might be… this is now, and this is what we look forward too. A little boy, and a little girl… our children Karai, they'll be strong and beautiful. Just wait and see." When Leo leaned in for a new kiss he was interrupted by a Foot soldier.

" Sir, you might come look at this."

Leo sighed and he saw Karai smile at him. " We better take a look." They were lead to the little screen behind the counter and watched the videotape for that day. There was nothing to see in the shop, but outside, through the window there was a lot to see. Leo saw both Casey and Hector and what happened to them. And when the suit dressed man stepped out of the car, both Leo and Karai knew right away who they were up against.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Don watched as Mikey grabbed Mona by her hips and swung her over his shoulder and carried her to the kitchen with a: " A woman's place is in the kitchen!" and Mona replied. " PUT ME DOWN MIKEY!" while she laughed.

" No way!" Mikey said. " I'm am gonna teach you have to cook a proper meal!"

Mona was screaming with sarcasm all the way out into the kitchen, and Don who stood in the living area by the lab table, was shaking his head. " Kids," he mumbled taking a few clean pipettes up from a glass jar.

" Is there something going on between those two?" Raph came from behind him.

Don turned around rather quickly and looked at Raph. " Raph? What? No!" Don said a little confused. " No, I don't think so…"

Raph lowered his gaze and hummed. " Probably not, but anyway…" he said gazing at the door. "They remind me of someone I once knew…"

Don took the pipettes in his hand and turned around to take a few other things, when his hand suddenly began to shake. He dropped the pipettes and they all fell to the floor with a crash, and as he stood there, watching his hand was grabbed by another that belonged to Raph. Don looked up into Raph's eyes. There was a silence of many unspoken words exchanged and when Raph's gentle grip was registered by Donny, he froze.

" Raph I… " Don was interrupted.

" I've seen many addicts in my life Don, also someone that did not have a choice but was forced to do it…." He said, gently taking up Don's sleeve all up over the brown green turtle's elbow. Raph's eyes were investigating the small black dots on Donny's arm. Then after a while he rolled Don's sleeve down again and his gaze was planted on the cloak dressed turtle. " I've tried to imagine what it must have been like for you, but now I see that it was far more worse than I had dared to think…."

Raph let go of Donny's arm and Don placed his hand on the spot where the marks were under the cloak. Raph raised a hand and with his finger tips he touched don's cheek.

" I will help you…" he said.

Don looked up. " Then tell me first, where do we stand, you and I?"

Raph looked over to the kitchen where the noises still continued and a stench of something burned were beginning to spread out into the living area. He gazed back at Don and pointed with his head towards the lab. " I'll tell ya after you showed me where to sleep."

When they began to walk Raph asked. " Why have Leo gotten my old attitude?" he said looking at Donny.

Donny turned his head. " Leo's changed a lot, Raph," Don said. " he has a lot on his mind right now. With being the leader of the Foot, his time is very occupied. And now with Splinter dying…. His shoulders had had a lot to bear lately. But this is very new; I mean to see him like this. He used to be more relaxed and not so bossy, as you probably remember him as."

" Perhaps, the fact that I left, took some weight of his shoulders." Raph added.

Don stopped and turned around. " NOTHING! Was good about the way you disappeared!"

Raph was quiet. " I seem to understand that now…" he then followed Don into the lab and over to the bed that had to be made.

Raph sat down on it and hopped a few times. " It is new?"

" Yes," Don said and took forth a pillow case and a new duvet. " The old bed was no good. When April went into labour with Betty, the bed almost fell apart. It was a miracle that it did not break while she gave birth."

" She gave birth down here?" Raph asked.

" Yes," Don took of the old pillow case. " she wanted me to help her. She says she trusted more in me than in the hospital. So she stayed down here for the last few weeks of her pregnancy, and finally gave birth on the old lab bed. Think fast!"

Don threw the pillow to Raph, and Raph grabbed it before it hit his face. " Your reflexes has improved," Don smiled.

" I've have had training." Raph said and placed the pillow on the mattress, and then looked at Don.

" I see that none of you wear your old gear anymore, not even your bandanas?"

" After we made the alliance with the Foot, we…, how can you say it, retired. Leo began to see Karai and became a leader for the Foot together with her, Mikey got to publish one of his home made comics, and it got very popular, now he's actually a cult idol for many people in the world, funny, they just have to know who their idol is… and as for me, I had Mona to see too. Here." Don handed the duvet to Raph.

" Thanks," Raph said and placed the duvet on the bed.

" No prob," Don smiled.

" Don…"

" Yeah, Raph?"

Raph stood up and looked at Donny. He went as close as he could and then took Don's hand. " You asked me before where we stood?"

Don nodded, his eyes widening.

" Then I'll tell you…" Raph leaned over. His face darted silently toward Don's, and Don did not move an inch. His eyes closed and he waited for something, he had dreamt of though many years, to happen.

" _**YA COMING?" a voice sounded from the lair. **_

" _**YEAH, be right there," D**__**on yelled back.**_

" _**Raph?" he said when coming into the garage.**_

"_**Y**__**eah?" the other turtle said giving a little 'ha' when finding the other helmet. " What's up?" he said while dusting the helmet off. **_

"_**Y**__**you ever wondered what it would be like to…. " Don held a break thinking that perhaps it was not such a good idea to talk to Raph about his inner thoughts. He never did that, so why now? **_

" _**Like what?" Raph said taking forth a cloth to dry of the helmet.**_

" _**Nothing," D**__**on sighed and looked away. " never mind, I was just wondering…" **_

" _**About what?" R**__**aph asked handing over the helmet to his brother. Don looked up and took the helmet. His eyes then looked away, down at the helmet and no longer at his brother, he knew he could not stop now. **_

" _**H**__**ave you ever wondered what it would be like, to have someone like Hector living with us?" he then said. **_

_**For a moment R**__**aph just starred at him as if that was the most stupid question ever, and when Don was about to crawl into a hole, his brother said: **_

" _**L**__**ots of times." **_

_**Don looked up. " R**__**eally?" **_

" _**Y**__**eah, ya asked, didn't ya? And I answered, didn't I?" Raph said. **_

" _**Ok," D**__**on said quietly hoping that now the question was forgotten but he got another surprise. **_

" _**W**__**e are part human, ya know, Donny" Raph said and walked over to the shell cycle near Don. **_

" _**I've all ready heard the call of nature several years ago, but I am **__**slowly beginning to accept the fact, that the closest I'll ever come to a child, is when hopefully Hector will call us uncle." He took on his helmet and then looked back at Don who was still standing looking at his. He sighed lightly and took his helmet off again and went closer to his brother and put a hand on the other turtle's shoulder. **_

" _**T**__**here's something more to that question, isn't there?" Raph asked. **_

" _**Ever since I helped A**__**pril deliver Hector I cannot forget the feeling of holding that little newborn in my hands. He was so fragile and so innocent…" Don looked away beginning to feel it sting behind his eyes. " I never wanted this Raph," he said and looked up. " I never wanted to be.. be… a freak! Neither a turtle nor a human, robbed from my every right in life, both in animal as is human kingdom. I will never have a child like Hector. No woman will ever be able to give herself up to me! April was my last shot, but neither she wanted to be with me. And now look, she all ready has her off spring and her family line safe. Now, I can watch her children grow every time I visit her, to know they could have been mine, but I am now doomed to die without never going to hold someone like Hector in my hands again. " **_

_**Raph took in his crying brother in a warm loving embrace. Now feeling sorry for the fact that his most innocent brother had come to face a fact in life Raph had met alone a few years ago. Now at least he felt alone in his fight no more. **_

_**Raph **__** padded Don's shell and waited patiently for his brother to cry out. He had never seen Don like this before.**_

_**Then D**__**on finally began to loosen up and when Raph felt his brother's stiff and shaken body relax he let go of his grip. Don looked a bit red and shy, as if he was blushing, and when Raph first took a look at him, he saw that there was something else it the face expression of his younger brothe,r which he clearly had a hard time making out what was. He looked almost content. **_

" _**I think I needed that," D**__**on smiled lifted the right part of his mouth into a smile. **_

_**Raph**__** grinned, and felt his brother's grip tighten around his chest. " I think you needed it too." Raph said and smiled. **_

" _**Y**__**eah," don proclaimed and caught his brothers eyes. Raph had had no intension of suddenly looking into Don's eyes like that. Somehow those hazel brown eyes suddenly caught the better half of him, and he felt how something in his right mind and sense got disturbed when those eyes of his brother darted at him. And if Don somehow didn't felt the same he would have taken his gaze away momentarily… but he didn't. Instead Don's grip loosened and his hands found their way onto Raph's plastron laying lightly on the biceps. Raph's own hands came from behind Don's shell and up to the neck of the younger turtle where they stopped and cupped the neck and cheekbone. With a stroke of his thump Raph caressed Don's cheek while looking into the brown eyes. He only watched in amazement as their head came closer, scents incoming to their noses and how their lips prepared for something beyond both's belief. When they both slightly opened their mouths and parted their lips, a sound so annoying and yey so victorious sounded. Don laughed and lowered his head and Raph grinned together with him and looked up into the ceiling, and with a feeling of relief and guilt, he took the phone: **_

" _**Raph here, oh hi L**__**eo! Yes yes, were on our way. See ya in a sec…. yeah I remember that. Bye!" then he placed the phone in his belt again and looked at don. " Saved by the bell," he said. **_

_**Don nodded. " C**__**all that luck or what?" the younger turtle smiled and sighed while he let go of Raph. He took on the helmet and looked at Raph. " What was it you needed to remember?" **_

" _**L**__**eo said I had to remember both me and the you." Raph smiled and pressed the speeder down and finally they were on their way to their destination. Trying to forget not to remember the moment that could have changes their lives forever. **_

Suddenly Don's shell phone rang, and both Raph and Don opened their eyes, and Raph stopped his movement. While the phone rang once more, both of them suddenly began to smile, and Raph began to grin. " A call of fate," he said and let go of Don, who immediately took the phone.

" Don here," he said and waited to hear Leo's voice. " WHAT? but I thought he was dead." Don said over the phone. " All right Leo, I'll be careful. Just call me later, when you find out about something more, all right? Yeah,.. yes,… bye."

" What?" Raph asked sitting down on the bed.

" It was Leo…" Don said sitting down next to him holding the shell cell in his hand. " he said we had to be careful from now on…"

" Let me guess," Raph said and turned his head. " with seven good years, there have to come seven bad years..?"

" You've even gotten wiser," Don tried to smile. " but yes, it seemed like we've got a problem now."

" Does a problem have to stand in the way of the answer to your question?" Raph asked.

Don turned his head to gaze at Raph. He felt his hand being taken from its place on his lap and another crawling behind his shell telling him to lean in against the other turtle. Don tilted his head and placed it on Raph's plastron.

" The seven bad years will mean that Mikey and I, and perhaps Mona have to get in shape once again." Don said.

" Don't worry," Raph replied. " I'll have time to help you. besides." He took Don up to look at him.

" Many old things has to be trained on again."

Don smiled and so did Raph.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

Bishop opened the cell block door to where one of his prisoners lay. He noticed that the person on the floor had moved, and he walked over to greet his old enemy with a nice hard kick into the ribs. While Casey began to cough and bending himself together from the pains, Bishop folded his hands and looked at him.

" I just came by to inform you, that at 1705 hours, your son's blood loss became too big, and he is no longer in this world. Good bye."

Bishop turned around and walked out of the cell, and closed the door slowly behind him, enjoying the sound coming from the 'wounded animal'.


	8. Cakes and sleep

**Disclaimer**- **I do not own the TMNT. It belong to their creators. **

**Enjoy- MM**

" _**Cake and sleep"**_

Leo called later again, and this time Mikey took the phone.

" Yeah all right Leo, that's fine. " Mikey said while trying to take of the dough Mona had thrown at him. "Give my regards to Karai… what? No! It's not that! Geez just trying to be friendly Leo, yeah ok, bye." Mikey hung up the phone and shook his head.

" What's up?" Mona asked while licking the spoon with the cookie dough.

" Nothing, besides the fact that he isn't coming back to night" Mikey said. " it's just Leo has been so overprotective of Karai lately." Mike walked over to Mona and grabbed her around the waist from behind and smiled when she handed him the spoon. He took the spoon and licked it. " Uhhm that's good."

" Perhaps he's not gotten used to the fact that he's going to be a father," Mona said. " you know, dad told me that some animals actually get very overprotective of their pregnant mates."

" You're kidding." Mikey said and on purpose gave Mona kiss of cookie dough on her cheek.

" Eeeew," she said but did not dry it off and kissed him back. " I'll treasure it."

Mikey toyed along with his love and they kissed each other from time to time on the spot. After Mona had turned and given Mikey a long lasting kiss, she said:

" I think Leo has too many things to see to now," she said. " we ought to respect the fact that he's trying to keep it hidden from splinter… about Karai and that, you know,… he said so himself that he did not want to break his sensei's heart. Besides, you and me… we also have to be careful, remember were not alone to night."

" Oh you mean because of your dad and Raph?" Mikey asked and grinned while taking her in a slow embrace. " Don't worry they probably have a lot of catching up to do."

" Whatta mean?" Mona asked looking a bit suspicious.

" Well," suddenly Mikey got a little quiet. " they have not seen each other for years, and now when Raph's back I think they need to be alone for a while."

" But you're their brother too, Mikey," Mona said. " why don't you need as much to be with Raph as dad does?"

" Well, I do, but there's always been some sort of special friendship between those two," Mikey said. "Strangely enough, they are the most opposite of the four of us, but somehow they managed to build up a partnership when it came to fixing and building things when we were younger…" then Mikey suddenly stopped talking.

" Please" Mona began smiling like a little girl. "tell me more!"

" Okay, " Mikey scratched his head. " well you see, whenever Don had built some sort of new vehicle for our heydays, Raph was always the one to be picked to test-drive it. It was never like Leo or I didn't want to do it, but Don had always built the things after Raph's head and somehow Raph was always the one to favoritise Donny under these circumstances. So even though mister hot head and mister braniac were two different turtles when we were younger, something made them bond in such a brotherly and unspoken way, that Leo and I could only feel it, but never see it or talk about it. Of the four of us, I think that Don and Raph had the best relationship…."

" But why did it stop?" Mona asked. " Why did Raph go away…?"

" Erhm, something happened," Mikey said avoiding eye contact. " something happened that made Con very ill and it looked like as if our hot headed brother could not handle that, so their relationship broke slowly apart…. And why Raph left… I have no idea. I still think about why he left when the four of us managed to have such a good life together." Mikey sighed and felt Mona leaned against his chest.

" I never heard that dad and Raph had it like that.. ," Mona said and then sniffed. " THE CAKE'S BURNING!"

Both Mona and Mikey had never moved so quickly before, and it was Mona who tripped next to Mikey as the top chef took out the burned cake from the smoking oven. Mikey almost threw the cake onto the kitchen table with a big roar of pain.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXx

The smell of something burned and the yell of pain made both Raph and Don come out of their little time of peace, and with one short look at each other they both ran to the kitchen.

Mona stood next to Mikey holding a cold bag of ice on the turtles hand and having a comforting hand on his shoulder. She stood very close to youngest brother, and when she eyes Don and Raph in the kitchen entrance , she quickly took a step away from Mikey to make a suitable distance, and became a little red when Don's eyes gazed upon her.

" What happened?" Don stepped forward and came over to Mikey, and mona stepped aside.

Don took the ice bag away. " Oh, my." He said and gently took a closer look at Mikey's hand while the wounded turtle bit down in his lip.

" Am I going to die doc?" Mikey managed to joke out.

Don raised his eyes and his brows when looking at Mikey for the 'funny' remark. He then put the ice bag back on the hand. " I can find many reasons for why you have to die, but of this burn, I don't think so…" Don said.

Mikey tried hard not to look at Mona, who herself looked like she knew what Don meant by the remark, and she bit her lip down too.

" We have to get it cleaned and it will need at bandage too," Don said. Mikey nodded and then took a look at the mess in the kitchen.

" What about this?" he asked.

" I'll clean it up," Mona said.

" Me too," Raph stepped forward, and everyone looked at the last turtle.

" Well," Don said and took and hand around Mikey's other wrist. " If you two clean this mess up, ill be back with our cook in no time."

" dDon't need to rush," Raph said.

Before Don went out of the kitchen with Mikey, he gave Raph one last glare, and headed for the lab.

Mona stood with her hands folded and was looking worriedly after Mikey. Raph could see that she wanted to say or do something very drastic right now, but something in her hesitated much, and instead she took her feelings inside. He knew that himself far to well.

When Raph moved, Mona's attention was suddenly broken and taken to him instead. She watched him as he walked over to the kitchen table and placed his hands on his hips and sighed while looking at the mess. Mona came over and stood near him.

" Even though Mikey is a good chef, he's good at making a kitchen look like Ragnarok…" she said.

Raph turned and looked at the girl. Her brown eyes were starring at the kitchen 'hell', and he felt how she was smiling a little.

" Mikey's always been a mess head," Raph said.

" And you the hot head?" Mona asked first realising when the words had come out that she had made a mistake. She took her hands to her mouth and began to apologizing underneath them. " Oh god, I'm so sorry. I did not mean to say that, don't know why I did it."

Raph couldn't help but smile. " Yeah, you're right," he said and looked at the mess on the table. "Me, the hot head, Leo the head head, Mikey the mess head and Donny the brain head."

" That's a new one," Mona began to calm down and smile, she then looked at Raph. "I'll remember that."

She then took in the long silence that came when they both tried to figure out where to begin first.

Then Raph came before Mona. " Did they tell you about me?"

Mona looked up and nodded. " Uhh mm," she said. " but not much…. Sometimes I had to drag it out of them just to get a few hints about my missing uncle." She said and sighed. " I think they didn't wanted to talk to much about it… you know… with your… about you…"

Raph hummed and bowed his head. " I can guess," he said.

" Why are you only back because Splinter is dying?" Mona then went on. " Why don't you stay? Do you have some place better to go too?"

Raph was a bit surprised by the girl's courage, and his gaze fell upon her shortly before he talked. "I cannot stay," he said.

" Why not?" Mona continued and Raph felt she moved closer. Through the hook of his eye he saw her smile. " It would be nice to finally get to know you."

Raph then made a 'hrmf' sound and grinned. " That Raph the others have been talking to you about… I'm afraid there's not much left of him now." he said feeling her smile fade away. " Over the years a person changes and…." He held a break when he suddenly laid her eyes on her again.

" And what?" Mona said. She still looked at Raph who had stopped to talk all of the sudden. His facial expression had gone from relaxed to a stiffened gaze.

Raph then shook his head and looked at the mess on the table. "It wont take Donny long to help Mikey. Perhaps we should get to it."

" Ok," Mona answered and while they cleaned up the mess she could not help but to look at him. Her new uncle was so different from her father and other two uncles, that her curious eyes were on him most of the time, eying his every move. And yes, she could see he had way more muscles than the others. Raph was well trained, almost too much, and like the others he still looked like a young adult. His movements were calm and soft, Mona noticed while he washed up the bowls, and spoons and she smiled almost grinned, when she saw him take on the rubber gloves.

" Afraid of getting wrinkled hands?" she teased and in response Raph took a hand under the tap an splashed the water on Mona. Mona grinned and as they cleaned up the mess they went around making small jokes with each other.

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Casey was still lying on the floor of the black nothing. His face was tight, due to the tears he had allowed to wet his face for several hours on end, and now there was no more left to get out. For several hours he had remembered almost eighteen years of memories that belonged to his son's life, and now he was totally empty, for memories, for tears. He had lost a part of his humanity, and he had been feeling the darkness coming from deep within him now…

When he was about to go into another endless sleep, the door to his cell was opened, and it was just open for as long as to let the shape of a big cat in. Why they had only let the cat in now, Casey wondered, because it was far to late, as the rats had all ready taken a good bite of the wounded feast that lay before them.

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Raph was actually laughing when Donny came out into the kitchen again. The 'brain-head', came walking out into the chess colourered floor and watched for a moment, as Mona threw out the last cake. When Don hummed, Raph was the first to notice Don, and stopped laughing immediately. Mona then saw Don too.

" DAD!" she smiled. " Want some burned cake a la Mikey?"

Don shook his head. " It's getting late Mons," he said and walked over to his daughter. " some one has a 'school day' to morrow."

Mona sighed and threw out the last cake. " Yeah," she then looked back at Raph. " glad to meet you, Raphael,"

" You too kiddo," Raph smiled.

Don smiled at his daughter. " Night sweet heart," he said.

" Night dad," she said and hugged Don.

As Don was embraced by his daughter, he briefly caught Raph's eyes, and Raph quickly looked the other way. When Mona let go again she turned to Raph. " G'night. See ya tomorrow."

" Night," Raph smiled.

Mona smiled and gave a last look to the two adult turtles and walked away.

Both Raph and Don stood on the place Mona had left then with their arms crossed. Then Raph lowered his shoulders and walked over to the kitchen table and took a chair out and sat down. Don turned to see Raph look out into the thin air.

" Well I'm going to bed too," Don said. "Night."

Raph didn't answer but just starred out into the nothingness. Don gave up and walked out of the kitchen.

Now Raph was alone once again… except from the memory that began to haunt him.

_**Raph was still s**__**hocked. His mouth stood agape and he starred at Don. His brother was clearly feeling disgust and worse things than that. But he also looked away. With his head tilted to one side and a straight look out into nothing, Raph could see that his brother was rather shocked by what had happened. And so was he himself…. **_

Raph shook his head and placed an elbow on the table and placed his forehead in his hand. He thought he had repressed all of that. But clearly he had not.

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" What is that maniac up too!" Leo growled and almost threw the chair he had leaned on to, away.

Karai sat leaned back against her own chair looking outside the window of the flat of the Jones' family's home. " It is clearly now we can see, that he was not taken down in the blast," she said holding a soothing hand on her expanded belly, and began to rub it up and down, she could feel the children move. " next time, I will make sure that I see his dead body and part him myself, just to make sure he will not come back!"

Leo turned to look at Karai, and felt how his temper fell as he saw how she sat. He walked over to her and bended his legs to place his own hand on her belly.

" First of all you need to take care of these two," he said. " And your self…"

Karai turned her head to look at the turtle next to her. She began to smile when she saw his concerned look, and raised her other hand to place it on Leo's cheek. " I cannot rest before he's out of this world," she said and placed her hand on the one Leo held on her belly. " I thought we were out of mad scientists, but clearly I was wrong." Karai felt a lump begin to grow in her throat. " If he ever finds out about our children, then you know he wont hesitate to get his hands on them."

When the first tear fell from Karai's eye, Leo could not help but take her in a comforting embrace. His arms folded on her back and she clung to him. After she had been impregnated and her body had begun to change, Leo had also seen how her whole personally had changed. She was no longer as harsh and strict as she used to be, but now she was more vulnerable and actually, believe it or not, very calm. In a way Leo liked this, he loved the way she had changed from a hard nut into a soft fragile flower.

" Don't worry Karai," he said feeling her tears on his plastron. " I will not let that happen."

He took her hand and helped her get up from the chair, and they walked into the bedroom.

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Bishop stood and looked at the big glass container. He had a pair of black pants on, and a white shirt where the sleeves were rolled up to his elbows, his black hair was combed backwards and he had taken the sunglasses off. He was happy with the fact that he had been able to preserve the body of boy in a big glass container, and could use him for one of the many experiments he had in mind. A few wires were attached to the boy's body, which were pumping a strange kind of pink fluid into the boy. He knew that this would take some time, and that he needed to keep it on low profile. His new allied was not happy with doing things that could alter their plan. And this little experiment would probably be seen as an obstacle for them.

Bishop turned to look at the two tables behind him. On them lay two other bodies, they were not dead, only sedated, but Betty and April would not be that for long.

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It knocked on Mikey's door and he looked up from the outcast on the drawing table and gazed at the person that wanted to contact him. Mona appeared in the door shortly after Mikey had laid down his pencil, and silently she came in. Mikey stood up, and when Mona came over to him he was more than ready to take her in his arms, but before he had the chance to do so, Mona was shocked to see his hand in so many bandages. Mikey smiled and said that Don had used too many, and before Mona could take a look at the hand, Mikey had took her over to the bed. He placed her on the mattress and leaned down to kiss her tenderly on the neck. Mona leaned back with a slight moan and they both embraced the night.

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The cat was sniffing around Casey's head, and somehow the human no longer fell so alone. His life was ruined, but at least the rats had gone away.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Karai lay with her back to Leo, and slept peacefully. Leo's arm were placed over her belly and he himself did not sleep. The thought of loosing his unborn children to a mad man like bishop, had taken hard on him. His hand went trough Karai's dark hair over and over again whilst he wondered.

" Love, go back to sleep," Karai then suddenly said.

" I can't" Leo said.

Karai waited a bit and then turned around, with a little difficulty due to the new weight on her belly, she faced Leo. She entangled her legs with his and pushed herself as far in to him as she could before the belly touched his plastron. And then she gazed at him.

" Nothing will happen," she smiled comforting.

Leo smiled and kissed her hand. " Nothing…" and then they both closed their eyes.

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It is said that humans are the most unfaithful species on the earth. They never stick to one mate the rest of their lives, especially not without having a tendency or two to think of another, or to be with another from time to time.

But there is a bond, in the animal kingdom that cannot be broken. No matter how hard you try or no matter how hard you deny it. Some animals live by this little 'curse', and have the bond between them first been made, it can never be broken.

A chair screeched over the kitchen floor and light foot steps found their way out of the kitchen.

XXXXXX

Behind the door sat a turtle with a white cloak and goggles, looking straight out into the darkness. He had not even cared to turn on the lamp on his desk, and now the digital clock showed very late since he had sat down.

Then it knocked on the door.

The turtle in the room turned his head and stood up and walked over to the door. He hesitated shortly but then opened. He all ready knew who it was. Those dark yellow eyes that he had missed for all those years starred back at him from the darkness of the lair behind him.

He opened the door up all the way and reached out to take the hand that belonged to the other, and led his visitor into his room and closed the door safely behind him.

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That night, only splinter slept alone.


	9. Waking up

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT, they belong to their creators. **

**Thanks for the wonderful reviews) – Love to get them, they are the energy my brain cells live on!!**

**Enjoy MM**

" **Waking up."**

A three fingered hand gently lay swept across a plastron that slowly raised it self up and down, clearly showing that the person it belonged to was content.

Something had happened that night. Only a few words had either been uttered or spoken, the rest had gone by as when the conscious had been taken over by a more divine instinct.

The two turtles laid on the bed, almost lock into each other with legs and arms entangled.

" If only I had not been so stubborn…" a voice said.

" Don't blame yourself."

" I have too," the first voice said. " I was so stupid back then… with stupid ideas."

" You did it because you felt it was right, and I came to understand that… that's why I left."

Don turned around and looked at Raph. He moved his hand from the older turtle's plastron and moved it further up. " You act like you never left," he said. " you act like nothing ever happened…"

" I never left," Raph said raising his head to make eye contact with Don. Raph then raised his hand and touched his plastron where his heart was located beneath. " Perhaps my mind managed to shut out the memories, but THIS never did…"

" I thought I would be more than just mad at you, if I ever saw you again," Don said. " silly actually, especially due to how I reacted just now."

" Why?" Raph took Don's hand.

Don shook his head and looked away. " After Rose died I never thought I was going to experience more pain than back then, but then you left, never knowing if you were still alive or dead… you left in such a condition that could have made you a very easy prey for a wild beast or an enemy..." Don sighed. " I was so devastated once again… feeling what I had felt when she had died…"

" Don," raph took his face. " we agreed to let her memory lay. Forget about her…"

" Leo said the same thing about you too," Don then said.

Raph looked shortly shocked but then smiled.

" Leo was right for once then,"

Don looked down on their hands and Raph felt how he had hit a soft spot.

" You say you will leave again," Don whispered and let go of the hand Raph held and sat up with his shell to the turtle lying on the bed. " Dunno why I even bother to stay in here.,,"

Raph sat up and placed a hand on Don's shoulder and leaned his head over the other one.

" Because neither you or I can deny what fate have in store for us… that's also why I left," Raph said and turned Don back down on the bed. " If I could not have you, I could not see any other way they to get as far from you as possible…" he bended down and captured Don's lips and the younger turtle joined in to the kiss.

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Bishop knew that the creature was coming back now, so he placed the scalpel on the table once again and covered the two bodies on the tables. " Some other time then," he said and walked over to the entrance of the lab. He closed the door behind him and saw that he was all ready eyed by the strange creature, known as just; Epsilon.

The creature, which Bishop had named him, was only a child a mother could love, and even bishop had a hard time getting used to the horror of the creature's face. It was scaly and yet it had a beardlike facial hair and goat like eyes. He wore a simple armour to protect chest, arms and legs, and even though Bishop knew it, the creature was more human than mutant. But anything with scales and hair at the same time, was in his mind considered non-human, therefore he knew where his loyalty was.

As Epsilon stepped up behind bishop he said:

" They've seen the tape," he said.

" Good," Bishop said and turned around. " Then it wont be long before you have to get your men ready."

" Oh don't worry about that," Epsilon smiled so his long fangs of yellowish teeth could be seen. "They've been ready since the Assassin betrayed us."

" For how long is that exactly," Bishop asked." I cant remember what you said…"

" That is unimportant now," Epsilon said taking a sharp intake of air. " what I came to say also, is that when upon keeping an eyes on the Foot, one of my men discovered something…and since I have told you that the plan must not be changed, I also know that you are a man of science. "

" Yeah, and?" Bishop had hiss full attention on the ugly creature.

" You told me before that one of the turtles had a little romance with Karai, " Epsilon said. " and when my soldier came and reported to me, he told me something that might come to both our advantages…"

" What?" Bishop lifted his brows. " Speak out!"

" Karai is expecting," Epsilon said.

" She's what?" Bishop's brows lifted even more.

" She's pregnant." Epsilon said. "And it looks like it won't be long before the world will see a new species…"

" Send out one of your soldiers and bring her to me!" Bishop said folding his hands in anticipation.

Epsilon called upon a soldier dressed in black and gave him orders to bring back some 'prey'. "That will be done now," Epsilon said turning to Bishop.

"Excellent," the anti- alien agent said and looked with a smirk upon Epsilon. Perhaps this creature was a little useful after all.

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When Mona awoke the next morning, she could not help but to give a little silent giggle, when she saw how Mikey drooled. There was a little wet spot on the pillow he rested on. Mona reached out and dried the drool of the side of his mouth and leaned gently over and gave him a light kiss on his forehead. He had been wonderful last night, and even now Mona tried to calm down her body, that had been yearning and begging for him all night. She smiled when she remembered how gently he had been, and told her that he would not go any further than just kissing and cuddling before she turned sixteen. But oh my goodness, mona had beed so awfully tempted last night, that both her and mikey had had a hard time keeping to the promise. Deep inside mona felt ready for the big ride, and she wanted to so awfully much, bit mikey was the perfect gentleman belive or not, and he wanted her first time to be perfect.

Mona had occasionally wondered if Mikey had been with other women before, but when Leo and Don had begun to talk about Mikey's "riot days," just after Raph's disappearance act, there was no doubt by the fact that he had been a ladies man to all limits. But it had been after, Mikey began to have and eye on Nona, he himself had said, that he had changed back again. She had helped him to get back to his old self, just by being his little niece, a child that loved him and he could play with…. That was where there relationship and bond had begun to form.

Mona had not been very old, when she had found Mikey on the couch very sad and very tired. She had come to him and just sat down together him, and comforted him, and in the end felt a sleep next to him on the couch… and now she knew, that it was back then, when she had been no more than seven the bond had been formed. But it was not before she turned fourteen that they discovered their real love for one another. Yes, it had been there, but both of them had ignored the strange feeling or pushed it away…. Until they had been alone together under one of Mona's 'times'.

Mona remembered it so clearly.

_**When M**__**ikey threw the pillow at her again, she had had enough. Just because he was bored, he had to take out on her! She had had enough of this stupid jokes and his irritating snore that had been there just a few minutes before when he was a sleep. She took the pillow and stood up from the lab table in the living area of the Lair and went over to Mikey with the pillow behind her. **_

" _**Mons?" he said and began to help himself get up to sit in the couch. He looked a bit scared. Perhaps due to the fact that this was one of Mona's most emotional 'times'. That rage, had Don often said, must be tackled probably, so remember to leave her alone. But Mikey had not left her alone, he had provoked her long enough. And when Mona reached the TV-area with youngest brother, Mikey began to make gulping sounds. " Mona! Now don't do anything stupid, all right?" **_

" _**O**__**h you have had it coming for so long, uncle Mike!" she growled and took the pillow forth and held it with to hands. " For how long are you able to keep your air inside?" **_

_**She was quick, very quick, but M**__**ikey still had a good handle on his old ninjitsu skills and got away before Mona got to him with the pillow. **_

" _**GET BACK HERE MIKEY!" she yelled and jumped over the couch to run after the turtle. **_

_**Mikey **__**was running to the stairs, and Mona was running after him in a surprisingly quick tempo, and she almost pushed Leo back to the wall when she ran past him. The older turtle was rather stunned, and then looked over at Don who was coming out from the lab with a tray of glasses, Mona was to use for her experiment. Both of them shook their heads and Don took it as a small lunch break and followed Leo out into the kitchen to let the 'kids' have a little time to ware their energy off. **_

_**Mikey ran to the dojo and tri**__**ed to hide in the shadows, but Mona had seen him, and she ran straight at him throwing the pillow. Mike ducked and grinned. Mona now got even more furious and growled and proceeded to ran after him,but then suddenly Mikey's old skills failed him and he tipped over an old weight lift, and since Mona was running so fast herself, she fell too, and landed on top of her uncle.**_

_**Mona had a clinched fist ready to hit hard, and she raised it into the air as Mikey turned around. She had never hit him before, and nor was she going to do it now, because when their eyes met, and they both sat in the very intimate position ( Mona with her legs on each side of Mikey's waist), her fist stopped in the air. **_

_**Mikey himself reacting**__** rather calm, but his eyes were fluttering until they reached hers. In that moment they were both very stunned. Mona lowered her fist, but did not move her brown hazel eyes from his baby blue, and then she sighed and fell forward to place her hands on the floor on each side of Mikey's head. **_

_**Mikey's hands were then placed on her knees and they slowly moved up to around her upper legs and shortly touched her but cheeks before they rested on her hips. Mona tried to open her mouth to let a little surprised moan escape, and suddenly they both leaned against each other to make their lips get captured in a loving kiss. **_

That was when their first kiss had happened, and Mona still remembered that very day she fell in love with Mikey. She and him had been through so many months of not knowing what to do about their discovery… it had been true heart ache just to be separated those first months, and doubts about how they had to handle their new relationship had lured in their heads all the time. But now it was settled, hopefully.

She caressed Mikey's cheek and could not believe that this wonderful turtle was now her true mate, her one and only. Mona yawned and then swung her legs out of bed and headed for a place where she needed to get some of the burden on her shoulders released.

She tripped over the darkness of the Lair, seeing that no one was awake yet, and she snug over to the last door closest to the stairs and knocked.

" Come in," a voice sounded.

Mona opened the door and stepped into the darkened room where splinter lay in his bed.

" Sensei, grandfather," she said.

Splinter sat up and eyed his granddaughter who came over to sit by his side.

" How are you feeling?" Mona asked as rhetorical question.

" Better, now that my grand daughter is here," Splinter smiled and returned the hug Mona leaned in to give him. "what brings you here this early in the morning my child?"

" I wanted to see how you were doing," she smiled and kissed his furry cheek.

" Very well," splinter smiled, and laid down his book, looking over the glasses on his snout. " I know that look."

Mona blushed lightly, she admitted to herself that she could not keep anything hidden from her grand father, and then she sighed taking his hand.

" I had a dream last night," she said. " dad says that you cannot tell anything from a dream, and even though he's always right, because he's so smart and all, I think that he might be a bit wrong about it this time…"

Splinter tipped his head to one side. " How so?"

" Well you see, grand, I had another dream about my mother," she said, knowing that splinter was the only one she could talk to about her mother. " and this time I think I actually got a glimpse of her!"

Splinter straightened his head asking his grand daughter with his eyes.

" You say that she was a turtle like the rest of us…"

Splinter nodded.

Mona continued.

" Dad told me something in anatomy class. Something about the a special system in the brain," Mona said. " he told me that when you grow up you can sometimes recall some memories of your childhood by smelling a familiar scent, which you have got in your early childhood, and then the brain registrates this and gives you an image back from that time you first got to know the smell. Something came to my mind, when uncle Raph returned home," she said and looked at her grand father. " and I know he left before I was born, but I was given his room right?"

" Yes, your father wanted you to have it," Splinter said shifting a bit uneasily in the bed.

" Did my mother also use to sleep in that room?" Mona asked.

Splinter looked quickly at Mona. He knew she was a clever and cunning girl and she used a lot of means to get to know some more about her mother. So splinter sighed, and took her hand.

" Your mother used to spend her night in different places;" Splinter said. " sometimes she also slept in Raph's room."

" Why?" Mona asked.

" The Lair does not have enough rooms, that is also why you have Raphael's old room," Splinter smiled and squeeze her hand. " and it seems to have affected you too…."

One of Mona's brows raised, she had no idea of what her grand father was talking about and thought that he was maybe a little delirious.

" What do you mean by 'affected' me?" Mona asked.

Splinter sighed again, he felt how his lungs tried to expand themselves as much as they could but it was not enough to get him the air he wanted, and he felt how weak he became. The illness was beginning to take him down piece by piece, and he himself knew that it would not be long before he had to leave.

" Anna- Mona my child, do you like flowers?" he asked.

" Well yeah, I guess so," she said. " it's not like I get to see them that much down here, but yes, they symbolise something more than the world I know down here. I like them."

Splinter took the picture down from his bed table and turned the frame. Mona watched as the old rat with the arthritis plagued hands began to take of the back side of the frame. He did it with much care and stiffness, but in the end he drew forth a picture behind the one that could be seen in the frame. Shortly he looked at the little photo and smiled before he handed it over to Mona.

" This," he said, while looking at Mona. " this was Mary-Rose," he said.

Mona took the picture and looked at the female turtle on it.

" Oh my," she said all stunned and short for words. " This is… was my mother?"

" Yes," Splinter said. " as you can see she was very beautiful."

Mona nodded and studied the picture. The female turtle looked a lot like her uncle's and father, except from the fact that she had a slender figure and very pale green almost yellowish skin. She wore a nothing but a scarf around her neck. Mona looked closer into the eyes of the turtle, and saw that her eyes were blue, like Mikey's.

A single tear swept down her cheek and she took the picture into her heart and looked at her grand father. " Can I keep it?"

" Then you must show it to no one but yourself," Splinter said firmly. " there's a reason for why I have not showed it to you before, Donatello did not like you to dwell at a thought of something you have not been acquainted with or had any relation too. Maybe she is your mother, but not by heart…"

" I understand," Mona replied. " thank you grand father."

XXXX

The picture Mona had got was now her most priced item. She had carefully placed it in her little notebook that she wrote in occasionally, and then hidden it away safely, before she had gone to find Mikey in his room.

She first checked the Lair, to see if there were any curious eyes watching her, and then she slid into her lover's room.

" Mikey?" she said coming inside.

Mikey hummed shortly and turned in the bed towards her. He rose up his arm to make space for her, and Mona took the invitation and crawled in under his protecting embrace.

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Leo opened his eyes by the sound of something he had not thought was possible. There was something familiar about the way the person, he knew was watching them, moved, and he sat up in the bed looking out into to darkness of the bedroom.

" Raph?" he said.

The answer came from out of the blue, and darted against Leo. Leo turned in a flash and grabbed the blade of the ninjaken between his hands, and held it steady.

" Who are you!?" he asked the intruder in front of him, he could clearly see by the shape that it was not a mutant turtle.

There came no answer, but a snarl from the attacker, and Leo called for Karai to wake up. Immediately she grabbed her own ninjaken and got to her feet as quick as she could due to the big belly.

" Leonardo!" she yelled, and saw him stride against the stranger dressed in black. As Karai made herself ready for an attack, she noticed that the black dressed man in fact had a long bushy tail swirling around him. It was grey and hairy and filled with scales, and was just about to take a turn to the right, when Karai ran to help her lover. She pushed the intruder away, and went for his tail, which she missed by an inch. She growled, and prepared herself for another attack.

It all happened so fast that Leo did not have time to get to his own ninjakens before Karai was hit by a quick hand from the intruder and fell on the floor on her belly.

Leo roared and ran to Karai, but the intruder came up in front of her, and once again attacked Leo. But this time Leo was more ready, and slowly he began to find out which techniques the dark dressed person used.

He himself had long ago started to improve his ninja skills after he become leader of the Foot, and it just meant, that now he had a bit of competition when this sudden new enemy had come to attack them without an explanation. But to mess with Leonardo was not something you should do.

Even though Leo felt that the intruder was very skilled, he had him down in no time and with one last strike, the ninjaken went through the abdomen of the dark dressed intruder. He fell to the floor and Leo immediately ran to Karai. He took her in his arms and turned her around to hear that she was murmuring.

" Are you okay, Karai?" he asked holding her tight.

" Yeah," she said and looked at the dead intruder.

" We need to get you to the Lair," Leo said holding a hand on her belly. " Don needs to have a look at you."

" Who was he?" Karai starred at the body on the floor.

Leo did not answer but he had on the feeling that one man, with the name of a certain priest, was to blame.

**A/N: ****I know, there's been way too much cuddling and making up and stuff, but I promise you all; in the next many chapters we will see some more ACTION!! ( and some more answers to all my twisted secrets ;))**

" **Mary- Rose" ****is an experiment from a time when Bishop and Stockman worked together on creating a 'soldier' with special abilities, such as seduction…. But if you think that " Mary-Rose" is going to play a major part in this, then think again. I've all ready planned this story from start to end, and as I've said before, I am not very fond of too many OC's…**

**Enjoy MM**


	10. Before the war

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT, they belong to their creators. **

" **Before the fight." **

" _**W**__**hy does this have to change all of the sudden? What happened… Why, Donny?" **_

" _**This just cannot work, R**__**aph, it's to risky. I won't do it any longer…"**_

" _**W**__**hy?" **_

" _**I can't live with the fact that we have to look over our shoulders all the time," a sigh. **_

" _**besides… I just overheard Sensei and Leo's conversation… I**__**'ve never seen Leo so sad before… or sensei so upset." **_

_**A hand on a shoulder, and a voice whispering. **_

" _**We can work this out D**__**on, it does not have to end up like Leo and Karai…" **_

_**The hand is slapped away from the shoulder.**_

" _**DON'T YOU GET IT?? This is ten times worse! We're brothers for god sake! He will not just be unfair or upset, he will ban us forever! He will never look upon us as his sons again!" **_

" _**D**__**on, calm down," it suddenly is as places has switched. " we are his sons, Karai was his enemy, our enemy… sensei probably just see it as a betrayal what Leo is doing."**_

" _**A**__**nd THIS! What we have done! Is that not also BETRAYAL! A betrayal of the most horrendous kind!?"**_

_**Quiet. **_

" _**J**__**ust… just don't come near mere anymore.." **_

" _**D**__**onny," **_

" _**NO!" **_

_**A shocked facial expression. Another one; angry. **_

" _**T**__**his is over! This is not anymore! You and me, over!!!! Leave me alone, Raph!" **_

" _**D**__**on…" **_

" _**I'm warning you!" **_

Don tightened his grip around Raph. Raph placed a hand on Don's arm and hushed him. When Don looked up again his face was tearstained and before Raph had a change to look closer, Don dried them away.

" If you stay they will have to know," he said and before Raph could respond Don had gotten up from the bed and walked over to the door.

" Donny?" Raph said from the bed.

Don turned his head while taking the door handle. His eyes were blank and tired. He gave a sly unemotional smile to Raph and then walked out the door.

Raph laid back in the bed and sighed highly.

How he whished he could stay. How he whished he could stay with Donny… but it was impossible. Many years ago he made a promise, a pact and alliance… he almost literally sold his own soul…and if it had been out of desperation or anger, he still did not know, but he was chained, and not as free as he could be.

And now he had made the biggest mistake ever. He turned his head and then placed and arm on the side of the bed where don had been just seconds before, it was still warm. Raph tilted his head back onto the pillow. What had he just done?

He then took the bed sheet aside and sat up to wipe his face, and swung his legs out of the bed and walked over to his clothes and gear. In his belt he found forth a little box. It was not bigger than a pill box, but in the top side there was a symbol of a cranium. It was cyanide. Raph clenched the pill box in his fist at closed his eyes, remembering Don's last words:

" _If you stay they will__ have to know…." _

" I'm tired," he whispered to himself. "forgive me father, but the plans have been altered." He then took the pill box, opened it and crushed the pills and threw them in the little bin in the room. He then turned and took on his pants and made sure the pockets contained the 'security' to his new decision, and walked outside.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

" WHAT!?? They got away??" Bishop yelled at Epsilon.

Epsilon sighed. " Yes, we have underestimated the turtle. Even though he had a wounded leg, he was able to take down the assassin we sent. "

Bishop took himself to the head and almost tried to rip out his hair. " GREAT!" he said and walked around in big circles. " then we just have to do something else." He walked over to the big computer and began to press in a few buttons while looking at the screen. Epsilon walked over to his allied.

" What are you doing?"

" Taking a further step in the plan," Bishop said. He then stopped by a picture of a dark cell. " mr. Jones will soon be ready. " he said. " It wont be long before the rats have poisoned him enough."

" There's something I don't understand, " Epsilon snarled. " why have you pumped all the rats with that poison and then let a can in also? Were they not supposed to infect him with the substance quicker?"

" You don't know what long time of pure torture can do to a human being, Epsiolon," Bishop said. "you need to be an expert in the human mind, to get as far with this, as I am going to do. Mr. Jones needs to feel pain in every aspect there exists, before we can form him in our own image. And since your superior now thinks that he is a valuable part of the plan, we will have time to try and locate the turtles."

" You said that they would come to us…?" Epsilon said.

" Yes, the warriors will, but there's still someone left behind," Bishop said.

" You mean Karai and her children?" Epsilon asked.

" Also them," Bishop said. " but it is the rat that has the information for your little 'treasure' which you want to get your filthy hands on to."

" The Assassin?" epsilon smiled and laughed shortly. " oh how I like how you use your vocabulary. I think our partnership could be very useful in the future. You do understand to entertain me…"

"Ditto," Bishop said and looked at the screen that showed the prison cell. " We still have time enough to make this man here extra 'spicy'."

" But I still don't understand what you are going to use him fore. Are you going to use him to find the turtle's hide out, or track down the Assassin?" Epsilon asked.

" Oh no, I all ready know where they are," Bishop said. " I've always known about their home in the sewers, but we have a plan as I have told you, and as you all ready know, and it looks to me like we can take it a step further while we wait for mr. Jones to get ready."

Epsilon smiled. "That's understood, just as long as you will find the useful time to try out this little experiment on the man, so he can be used for our advantage.. " Epsilon smiled and turned around.

" I'll send my team off with the message." He walked a few steps and the turned to Bishop. " And you're sure they don't have to kill them?"

" Just make sure they will deliver the message, and if your men die in action, they die as true warriors." Bishop said.

" Oh don't worry, they wont die," Epsilon smirked.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Don came out from the bathroom he saw Mikey stand by Mona who sat at the lab table in the living area. He had moved his black board of drawings over next to her, and Mona slowly began to place the things she was experimenting on, aside and looked at what Mikey was drawing. Don saw Mikey gently take her hand and place the pencil in her it and placed it on the white paper sheet. Mona smiled and was overjoyed when she had drawn something 'beautiful' and Mikey encouraged her to be his new muse, and they tried again.

Usually Don would have thought that the two young ones had become a little to close, and sat a little to close, but he hen remembered how those two had been sitting together when Mona had been a small child. Back then, Mikey had also taught her to draw, and they had been sitting in the exact same way, as they did now.

A door behind them opened just as slow and Raph came walking out, he was able not to make himself seen by Mona and Mikey, and then he eyed Don.

Don gave him a short gaze before turning around to head to their sensei's door. But by his second step the door to the lair opened and two people stumbled inside.

" LEO!" was the first thing Mona cried out, as she was the first to utter a word.

Don immediately ran to Leo who had Karai leaning up against him.

" Look at her first, Donny, how are the babies?" he stammered. " She was hurt, very badly… I'm afraid- "

" Leo. Calm down," Don said and took his brother, and looked at Karai, when suddenly the whole Lair went still.

Don could not help but look at what caused the silence that suddenly appeared, and then saw that Raph and Karai had laid eyes on each other. It was a very intense moment and suddenly it came as cold ice ran down Don's back. Raph had always had a rather spensty relationship to Karai, and both their tempers were always put to the limit. Don knew that Raph had always hated Karai, and he would not hesitate to attack her if he had the chance.

So it surprised everybody, even Karai, when Raph gently took a grip around his former enemy and said to Don. " I'll get her to the infirmary, you take Leo,"

Don nodded, and also felt how Leo began to relax in his arms, also and take away the painful grip he had on Don's shoulder.

As the two turtles carried the wounded away, Mona and Mikey came to help.

" Mona, you go with Raph," Don said as Mikey came to Leo's other side. " remember what you have been taught in class about this."

Mona nodded and did not hesitate to go to Raph and help him take Karai with them to the infirmary.

Once inside the infirmary, Mona and Raph helped Karai to the old hospital bed, and a stunned Karai felt how gentle the returned brother actually was when he placed her on the bed. She tried to capture his eyes and make eye contact, but he looked away all the time and she noticed that he from time to time shot his eyes at the young turtle girl.

" Thanks, " she then said when Raph had placed her fully on the bed. He just nodded and went away from the bed, when Mona grabbed his arm.

"You're not going anywhere," she said.

" What…?" Raph looked a bit perplexed.

" Since you're now here, you can just as well make yourself useful," Mona said in a certain tone, which meant that there was no arguing now. " I need an assistant when I have to look Karai over."

" But what can I do?" Raph asked.

" You have to hold her hand." Mona said.

Raph jumped shortly and for once made eye contact with Karai who suddenly looked like him in the face.

" I know it sounds stupid, but she needs all the support she can get, and since Leo's now in the lab, you have to be her support." Mon said and turned her shell to the older turtle, who was still rather stunned.

Mona went over to take the sterilized instruments and the monitor screen, and when she began to take her gloves on; she shot Raph a look. " Uncle Raph..."

Mona said nothing more, because it all lay in the tone of her voice, and as a man under the shoe, Raph went over to Karai, and placed himself behind the bed.

Karai looked as if she did not know what to do with her self, but when Raph then, without another 'warning' took her hand, she looked upon him.

Mona sat down by Karai's legs and placed a big piece of fabric over her lover parts and rolled up her shirt, to make the big belly seen more. With skill full hands she touched and pressed a few places on the belly skin, and suddenly Raph said.

" Mona, uhh, do you know what…."

" She knows perfectly well what she's doing, Raphael." Karai said and looked up. " She's had a very skill full teacher."

Mona looked at Karai, and gave her a smile. " I don't feel that the child has been changed with any abnormalities." She then took the gel from the little table beside her, and spread it over her belly, and turned on the screen. A black and white monitor picture appeared, and suddenly mona was standing with an open mouth.

" Oh my…" she said and sank. " Karai do you know that it is t…"

" Twins," she said. " I was told about the other day."

" No," Mona said and brought the screener further over her belly. "… t-.. triplets!"

Raph felt Karai shake shortly. " WHAT?" she said. " There are three?"

Mona nodded. " Yes, and they are all fine, look." She took the screener over the belly and shortly after each other three heads came in different pictures on the screen. Karai was stunned. She suddenly felt her hand be squeezed a little and looked at Raph. He was standing looking at the monitor with a closed mouth, but with a look on his face, that Karai could not read, and was that tears she saw in his eyes?

" Now I need you to relax, Karai." Mona said and sat on the stool that stood at the end of the bed. "This will be a bit uncomfortable, but it wont hurt. I just need to take a sample to see if there might be any blood in ammoniac fluid."

" All right," Karai said and looked into the ceiling.

XXXX

A few minutes later, Mona was taking off her rubber gloves and Karai was rolling down her shirt, and while she once in a while she planted a look on Raph. She had noticed that he was a bit different from the Raphael she had known all those years ago, but still very surprised of how calm he had been under the whole examination.

" I cannot see any blood in the sample," Mona said and placed the little glass in a holder, and turned her head to smile at Karai. " I think they are perfectly fine."

" Good," Karai said. " can I see Leonardo now?"

Mona came over. " No," she said. " you need to stay here." she gently helped Karai to lay down onto the bed again. " You were hit in the back, and if you don't take it easy now, there will might occur complications during the pregnancy. We don't wan that, wont we.?."

Karai placed a hand on her belly. " No." to think there was actually three in there! She was still stunned.

Now Raph had time to walk away, and he took the chance. But Mona followed him out and stopped him right as they had entered the living area of the lair.

" Thak you," she said stopping him. " that was really a brave thing you did in there."

" Really…?" Raph sounded a bit sarcastic.

" Yeah!" Mona said. " I've heard about your past, and your relationship with Karai… and I know it wasn't all good, but…." She held a pause, and raised a hand to pad his shoulder. " You really did great."

" I assume they are Leo's?" Raph then said.

" Oh, you mean the children," Mona said and nodded shortly. " Yeah, they are."

" Ok," Raph said.

Mona slowly took down her hand and sighed. " They've tried to keep it a secret for a long time, but then there were complications and we were led into it too… but not gran-pa, I mean Splinter, your sensei, he does not know it yet. Uncle Leo never wanted to break his heart… but now it is probably too late."

Raph could see that the young girl was beginning to realise the significance of what could might happen now. He felt obliged to place a hand on her shoulder, as was it one of the most normal things in the world, and then he also raised her chin.

" Hey, tot, I'll work out." He said. " Don't worry, Leo and Karai will have their kids, you'll see. "

" But what about grand?" Mona looked at Raph, her eyes were beginning to get wet. " At least one person will suffer on another's behalf… I saw how both dad and Mike took it when they found out Leo had been 'sleeping' with the enemy." Mona whipped away a tear. "For freaks sake, why cant they just get along. What is all that stuff about not getting along? They ought to forgive each other and be happy for the fact that there will be some children now…" the tears that began to flow down Mona's cheeks was to much for Raph to bear, and he took his arms around the turtle girl and embraced her in a warm comforting hug. And one thing Mona did not do, was to resist his kindness. Her arms wrapped themselves around him, and for the first time in a long time, Raph felt how it was to be embraced by someone. He almost felt as was his heart to burst. The young girl was crying because of her sympathy for two lovers that had to hide the truth for the rest of the world…. Wasn't this not just history repeating?

Raph felt how the emotions began to boil inside of him, and he had to fight hard to keep the tears back himself.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

When Don came out from the lab he immediately saw the two turtles hugging in the living area. He stopped for a moment, felt how stunned he actually was, and then a voice came from behind him.

" Don we need to get Leo…." Mikey stopped his sentence. " What are they doing!?"

Don turned and saw that Mikey was standing with Leo and looking straight at Raph and Mona. Don then quickly coughed rather loud, and Raph turned his gaze towards them. He noticed Donny's face and then gestured shortly to Mona that their time was up. She herself was a bit perplexed about her sudden reaction, to allow a 'stranger' to comfort her, and she sniffed a bit while trying to smile as Raph let her go.

" Oh," she said, when she took a took at his plastron. " silly me," she took forth a handkerchief and dried of the tears she had left on Raph's plastron.

" Mons," Don said and came over to his daughter while Mikey helped Leo into the lab.

" Hi, dad," Mona turned around to look at don. " the babies were fine and okay. I told Karai to rest."

" Great," Don said but still looked a bit concerned. " Why did you cry, Mona?"

She lowered her gaze. " It was just about something silly. You know why I get so emotional."

" Hmmm. Mm." Don murmured and raised his head at Raph, and noticed that the red blushing cheeks on Raph was slowly fading away.

Raph then coughed. " If you need me, I'll be with sensei," he said and walked away.

Don and Mona watched as he found his way to the room.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Karai had told Leo the news and once again, hearing the third time he was going to be a father once again, he had almost tripped and felled if not Mikey had been right there to catch him. And when Don had told the coming father and mother to be, about how they had to take it from now on, he followed Mikey out and left the couple alone.

When Don closed the door behind him and turned around he noticed that Mikey was having his arms crossed, and was looking at Mona that sat from him across the lair.

It was no longer easy for Don not to admit the fact that he had noticed the romance that was going on between Mikey and his daughter. And for once he was rather concerned… was Mikey beginning to get jealous? Of Raph?

Don was beginning to be a little worried, a little stressed perhaps, and he felt how he body began to tell him something was wrong. All this that had happened the last few days, had been a little too overwhelming, and shortly after he saw Mikey go over to join Mona, he found his chance to slip unnoticed into the lab.

Once in the lab he walked straight over to the medicine cupboard and took forth the little bottle of morphine, and went over to make sure he had locked the door. On the shelf to his left, he took a rubber band and a sterile needle for injection, and took it all over to the table behind him.

How he longed for the calming sensation of the ecstasy of the morphine running through his veins once again. With one hand he took the rubber band around his upper arm, and by the help of his teeth, he tighted the rubber band and waited for the blood to stop flowing. With a finger he slapped a few times on his skin to find a vein, and as it began to appear, he took the morphine glass and emptied it in the injection needle. Don felt as the sweat poor down from his forehead as the needle went through the flesh, and he gasped while his head flew backwards due to the sensation of the morphine spreading. When the needle had been emptied, he immediately ripped the rubber band off, and threw it all down in the garbage can, and fell down in the chair next to him.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXxx

" No Mikey," Mona said stopping what she was doing and laid down the pipette on the table. " I just began to cry, and then he stood there." Mona sighed. " He just comforted me, that's all."

Mikey snorted. " Yeah sure…"

Mona then pushed the chair away. " Listen! I don't need this from you!" she said and turned around. " If you want to be jealous then FINE! Just don't take it out on me!"

She stomped away over to the TV-area and sat down.

A few minutes passed by.

" You might wanna turn the TV on." Mikey said. " I would like to hear something else than your breathing."

" F#CK YOU!" Mona snapped back and instantly took the remote and turned on the VH1 music channel showing Billy Idol's ' White Wedding'. " How typical…" Mona snorted and found a pillow to hug. Shortly after she fell a sleep.

When Mikey had been trying to concentrate about the artwork for many minutes now, he then threw his pencil down on the table and sighed while looking over at Mona. Why did he have such a jealous mind? He stood up and walked over to the sofa where Mona slept and sat down beside her.

" Hey," he said and placed a hand on her shoulder.

Mona murmured and continued to sleep. So when Mikey bend over and give her a kiss, there was jackpot. She kissed him back right away.

Mikey felt how his smile formed on his lips, and Mona then ( still with closed eyes) took her arms forth and wrapped them around him and took him in deeper.

" Oh, Raph!" she murmured.

" RAPH?!?" Mikey immediately broke of the kiss and looked straight at the turtle girl who began to smirk and then laugh uncontrollably.

" Gotcha!" she laughed.

" Oh, I'm gonna get you!" Mikey grinned and began to tickle and tease her. " I'm gonna get you for good!"

" Then wait for my birthday, lover-boy," Mona said in between laughing and grinning.

Mikey stopped tickling her, his eyes became a little smaller as he began to sit down on the floor leaning at the couch. Mona turned to him and placed a kiss on his cheek.

" To morrow," she said.

Mikey leaned in and captured her lips in a very passionate kiss.

None of them noticing they were being watched from the shadows…

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

" Why did you give her the picture, sensei?" Raph asked.

Father and son sat in the darkened room talking. Raph held his father's hand and Splinter was lying on the pillow looking at his son.

" Sometimes we must do what we find best," the dying rat said. " Even though it can might interfere or alter some things."

" She has really been asking a lot, hasn't she?" Raph said.

" She's a very curious girl," Splinter smiled.

" Growing up with Donny, how can you then turn out any different?" Raph smiled holding tighter on his father's hand.

Splinter laid his eyes on the son. " Anna-Mona is a wonderful girl, Raphael,"

" Please stop it, sensei" Raph said. " you only make it harder on me now."

" If you had done what I had asked you to do, you would have done it by now, Raphael," the old rat said. " Then what I say now would never have happened… "

Raph opened his eyes and starred straight at the rat. " Yes, sensei," he said.

" Something made you change you mind…?"

Raph did not answer but looked away.

" I see," Splinter said and lay his head back on the pillow. " I should have guessed…" he then sighed. " but it was the only way to have you back into our lives," he said.

Now Raph was stunned. " Sensei? Is there something you aint telling me?"

" I know it all Raphael," Splinter sighed. " ever since you first laid eyes on each other after Mary-Rose died. It has always been very obvious…"

Raph felt how his whole body began to shake. " R-really?"

" Yes, and it breaks my heart that you never dared to tell me."

" Don saw how you reacted when Leo told you about him and Karai…" Raph said. " we then both realised we wanted the family to be as it had always been. So… so…." Raph looked away again.

" To run away is never an option," Splinter said and turned to Raph again. " but in you're case I would have done the same."

Now Raph turned his head to his father again. " I've done things, sensei. Things I try to regret… and now, I know it will come back after me, sensei… with this decision I've now made, I fear for our family yet again…" Raph sighed.

" The past will get to you no matter what," Splinter said. " but it is up to you to decide which past it has to be, and how you will fight it with any of those necessary means there has been given to you. And as I see it now.. you have only chosen wisely my son… and"

There was a scream from the lair. " What was that?" Raph stood up.

" Go Rahpael," Splinter said. " and be ready. Your past might all ready be after you now."

Raph ran to the door and before he went out he heard Splinter once again. " Your choice has all ready been taken. Now use it well."

**A/N: My goodness. It's like ****every time I tell my self to keep it short and simple something always seems to want to squeeeeeeeeze in here and there. **

**The next chapter will be the beginning of a long journey for the turtles. **


	11. Journey

**Disclaimer: I do not own the TMNT. **

**Too Arroba Dotcom: **I'm glad for the fact that you will be my beta-reader and help me correcting my many mistakes in the chapters. ;)

" _**The Journey" **_

When Raph came running out of the ill rat's room and was stunned by the scenario that was taken place in the Lair, and stopped up in astonishment. Mikey was suddenly thrown backwards against the wall, and Mona was screaming from behind the couch and suddenly Don turned up in the lab door looking rather disoriented, but Raph noticed, at first sight when Don saw his daughter, he went into a protective mode. Raph had never seen the younger turtle run so fast to his daughter to calm her down, but he was knocked over by a fist that came from the shadows and he fell to the floor. Mona ran to Donny and sat down by his side when the hand from the shadow showed its owner and a face as ugly as that was hard for Raph to forget.

Raph narrowed his eyes, growled silently and took his hand around his sai. And just in the moment Mona opened her mouth to scream, a sai, was thrown as fast as an arrow, and spiked through the scull of the ugly creature. A second later a giant turtle jumped down on top of the creature and drew out his sai and dried the blood of in his pants.

" Raphael! Dad, he's…"

" He'll be okay," Raph said and took Don's pulse. He looked at Mona who then looked at Mikey. Raph followed her look and saw that the youngest turtle brother was in a little pain while rubbing his head.

" What happened to Santa's NICE elves?" Mikey growled.

Then Mona saw another strange creature walk up behind Mikey, but she was not able to shout before Mikey was grabbed from behind, and the creature withdrew a knife.

" DONT!" the creature rasped when it saw that Raph was about to grab his sais.

Raph growled thinking that twenty years ago mikey would have knocked that freak out without as much as blinking. He sighed and took his hands away from the sais and stood up.

The creature smiled showing his yellow teeth and held the knife further to Mikey's throat.

" So, " it said. " this is quite a coincidence." It rasped and couched a few times, while Mikey made a face.

" Let him go," Raph said. " it's me you want."

The creature shook its head and Mona gasped shortly, but then felt Donny move and helped him to sit. Don took a hand to his jaw and came with a loud unsatisfied sound of pain, and then looked at his daughter. " Are you all right, dad?" she asked. Don nodded shortly when he heard a voice and turned to its direction and saw the horrible ugly humanoid creature.

" Not this time," the creature said. " perhaps the new leader wants you, but mr.Bishop has send us only with a message."

" What message?" Raph growled.

" This," the creature brought forth an envelope and threw it down on the floor. " he says he wants to meet with you, and do a little business."

The creature smiled and the let go of Mikey and pushed him forward, so he ran into r

Raph, who immediately caught him.

" If you follow me Traitor, I will have to break my promise to Bishop." The creature looked at Raph. " and you know how good I am." The creature whistled and suddenly a handful of the creatures like him showed up and followed him out of the sewers.

Mona went over to take the letter up, when she heard her oldest uncle's voice. " What did he mean by that, Raphael?" Leo came walking over to them from the infirmary supported with a cane.

Raph looked away and helped up don from the floor.

" Raph!" Leo's voice was raised a few tones. " Did you know that… that… thing?"

Raph tried to ignore Leo, but he then felt a pair of eyes upon him. Don was looking at him. _No more secrets, Raph. _His eyes begged.

" I used to lead them." Raph said.

" WHAT?" Leo walked closer to Raph. " Do you know that creature personally? It was one of those that attacked Karai and I! I knew I had seen that style of technique it used before! I ought to…"

" NO! Leo!" Don had come to stand. " Enough of that! Raph probably has a good explanation to this." He turned to face the second oldest turtle. " Right?"

Mona stood next to Mikey, and they watched in silence as the elders' row continued.

Raph sighed and walked a few steps away and leaned his hands on the lab table. " A few years after I left, I stumbled into an old utrom lab and found them. They were only children by then, but I could not leave them. So I trained them, formed them to be good warriors, but I later found out why they had been abandoned. They were of an alien species that the utroms had tried to hide away due to their untrustworthy nature and highly developed primal instincts. I found out to late that they were very dangerous, every single one of them, no matter how I tried to keep them to be good soldiers honourable soldiers. They then became bloodthirsty predators at the moment I looked away and I tried to kill them…mustard gas." it was suddenly all quiet. Raph shuttered a little and then continued. " but a handful of them survived… immortals…. And they became to strong for me to take down on my own. Then I tried to hide from them, trying to figure out how to get rid of them… but then I heard they joined Bishop…. And now… I've brought them here…," Raph stopped talking.

The others were rather stunned.

Only one was capable of going over to pick up the letter. Mona's three fine fingers trembled as she opened the envelope and began to read the letter. It was only until a few minutes later she gasped loudly and the letter fell out of her hand. She fell to the floor sounding as if she was being strangled by an invisible killer.

" MONA!" Don ran over to his daughter." Mona, breath! Breath probably!"

" Dad, he's dead! He's dead!" Mona looked up at don. " They killed Hector…!"

Don took the young girl into him and wrapped his arms around her.

Raph turned around. He suddenly looked rather angry, and both Leo and Mikey was able to see something they had not seen for a long time. Both of them weere now fearing the worst and hoping that Raph would not go and smash the whole Lair.

Don caught Raph's eyes while comforting his daughter and once again just one look from the brain-head seemed to calm the hot-head down. Raph picked up the letter and began to read it.

XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX

Six people now occupied the kitchen of the Lair, five turtles and a human.

Leo was sitting next to Karai, the turtles former enemy and now coming mother of his children. He was not in a festive mood, instead his eyes scowled his younger brother walking fort and back on the floor. He could see that Raph was very upset, and who would not be after reading the letter. Leo then took his attention to the other members; just briefly to see how they were doing.

Don was still having Mona in a protective and comforting embrace and he was whispering soft words to her, and Leo admired his younger brother for being so calm and soft to his little girl, Leo knew she meant everything to the genius of the family. But he also noticed how Don's eyes occasionally went to Raph in motion.

Mikey was having an ice-bag planted to the back of his head, while drinking the water Don had given him. After a slight concussion Mikey needed to stay calm, and water should help him in different ways to do so, and Mikey had already been vomiting twice.

" Raph," Leo then said and turned to the oldest of the younger brothers. " We cannot just walk into area 51 without getting noticed. Besides, who says that Bishop is not setting up a trap? That letter could easily prove that."

" Leo, we cant use anymore time on pondering at home," Raph said winching shortly after saying the word 'home'." Hector's already been killed and now, what about the rest? April, Betty and Casey? If we don't get them out of Bishop's claws in time, they'll probably end up like the boy! And I dare not have any more of out friends blood on my hands!"

" Raph we need a plan" Leo said. " And most important of all we need to know where that thing is going! Or else we have no destination to go follow!"

" Well then fearless leader," Raph walked closer to Leo. " What do you suggest?" And in the same moment it was as if the room they were in suddenly found it self back in time to a brief moment of old days. Even Raph, as he looked Leo into the eyes, knowing what he just has said would bring back old memories, seemed to calm down nearing the table. " You're right, we don't even know where he's goin'…."

" I put a sender onto the beast," Mikey said. All the others besides Don ware looking at the youngest turtle brother.

" You did what?" Raph asked placing his hands on the table.

" I put a sender on it," Mikey repeated. " at least we know we can go after them now. "

" You put a sender on to it?" Leo then asked almost as if he had not gotten it the first two times.

" Mikey's not all stupid," Don said soothing Mona who was now leaning against the chair. " Mona has taught him a thing or two while he's taught her how to draw. And a little thing like a sender and a transmitter is an easy thing the overcome and use in the right situations. And we all know that Mikey had a long time to get it on to the creature that held him."

" Then can we see where it is going? " Leo said.

Don got up and said he would be back in a few minutes.

Shortly after Don had walked out of the kitchen Karai began to feel a little queasy. " Mona," she said.

Mona turned her head to the young Japanese woman. She noticed right away how pale she looked, and she took her hand right away. Karai squeezed her hand gently and smiled, as Mona began to help her up. " I'll take her to the infirmary, Leo," Mona said when Leo were beginning to react to what was happening to Karai. " don't worry, she just need to lay down."

" Okay, Mona, I trust you," Leo said and kissed Karai shortly and saw been taken away from him.

" How does it feel?" Mikey suddenly asked.

Leo turned to his brother. " Huh? Sorry, what?"

"You… Going to be a father?" Mikey finished.

Leo looked after Karai was allready out of his reach. " Strange," he said. " I sorta thought I was never going to have these feelings. I'm afraid of loosing both her and the children…. But to answer you're question ;ikey; I'm feeling joy. I'm looking forward to it."

Mikey smiled to Leo.

Raph began to walk more calmly around on the floor and then he suddenly stopped. He turned on his heel and looked at the others by the table. " The Shell Cycle!" he said rather loud. Mikey and Leo both jumped from their chairs and looked at their brother.

" Err," mikey coughed shortly and began to bite his lip. But it was not hard for Raph to read his brother's face.

" What? You lost it? Where's the shell cycle?" Raph was a little upset, and both Leo and Mikey knew that that old bike had been their hot headed brother's pride and joy.

" Well, you see," Mikey stood up. " you better come have a look." And he then took the unknowing Raph with him to the garage.

Even Leo had never thought he should her the hot headed brother sound so heartbroken. For when the sound of,: " MY BABY! WHAT HAVE YOU DONE TO HER!?!" rung through the Lair, the leader knew exactly why they should have given Mona another birthday present.

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Bishop took a look at the two bodies on the dissection table, he had changed his plans. After finding the sender on one of Epsilon's men, he knew that the turtles would be coming at any minute now.

If he let the two women be in area 51 the turtles would have their hands full and return to their sewers and Bishop and Epsilon would have the change to go to another area under ground, and wait for the experiment on his other two hostages were finished and ready for use.

So therefore Bishop made a quick decision shortly after having a row with Epsilon and his useless assassins. And Bishop would not let the turtles get unhindered into his main area… so something useful could the assassins provide with; the were experts in setting traps.

So when Bishop was ready to depart from the old area 51, he made sure that the traps were probably set and then he jumped onto the truck that drove away, while he was looking back at the building, he smiled.

" See you soon turtles," he said and narrowed his eyes while this smile widened. " And when we do I will have a little surprise in store for you."

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Mikey had given up long ago to part the big crying turtle and the half finished shell cycle, and one of the reason where the fear of loosing a limp or two. So when Mona came in to see what was happening she looked utterly surprised.

" Uncle Raph?" she asked. And immediately Mikey put a hushing finger to his mouth and shook his head. Mona began to look even more confused, and then Don followed her into the garage.

" Mikey?" he said crossing his arms.

" It's not my fault!" Mikey said. " I cant help that Raph's making the paint wet!"

" You haven't even painted it yet," Don snared and went over to Raph. " besides now the surprise is ruined, and both Mona and Raph will not be able to drive it for a while."

Don took his arms around Raph and helped him up.

" Me?" Mona then asked. " Was I going to drive that thing?"

" A birthday present," Mikey said.

" Oh," Mona looked a little surprised. " well… I guess it must have been uncle Raph's just by looking at the way he clung on to it?"

" My baby," Raph dried a tear away and got a up giving look from Mikey who shook his head. " Why would you even begin to mess with her?" Raph asked.

" It was taking space, Raph," Don said. " besides we never knew if you would come back or not. So I thought that Mona would have more joy in using it."

"Hmm." Raph uttered, he then looked at the little device don had in his hands. " Is that the transmitter?"

Don nodded. " Yup, and I was right, the creature is leading us to area 51. Bishop's old hideout."

" Then we better get going." Raph said. " Grab your gear Mikey!"

As Raph stumped to the door, he was cut short by Leo who looked at him from a distant view. Raph stopped. " Would you mind getting out of my way, Leo?"

Leo shook his head. " Look at them, Raph," he said and nodded at Mikey and Don. " there's a reason for why none of us no longer wear out bandana's or our weapons."

It was clear to see that Raph became a little smaller under the words of the leader. He stepped a few feet back and the hesitantly looked back at the two other turtles. Then Don stepped forward.

" We haven't been practicing since you left, Raph," Don said. " Splinter said that we no longer should interfere in the world above. Mikey got his stories published and I had to take care of Mona. We never had time to practice…"

" But but…" Raph then began.

Then a hand was placed on his shoulder, and Leo's gaze was calm and understanding as he looked at his brother. " I would like to join you Raph, but I cannot with this leg," he tapped on the leg with the cane. " but I will let you have some of my men."

" You mean the Foot?" Raph asked.

Leo nodded. " Yeah Raph, I will give you command over my best men, and then I will like to see April and Betty here within the week is over. And when you come back, I will personally have Mikey, Don and perhaps Mona," Leo looked at Mona who suddenly seemed all excided. " ready for you to train into shape."

Raph looked over his shoulder and the rested his eyes on Mona. She was smiling from ear to ear, and Raph could not help but smile himself as he saw how excited she was. And then he had an idea.

" Since Mikey and Donny might still be able to remember their old training, I would like you to take care of them," Raph turned to Leo again. " and then I will personally train Mona from scratch!"

Leo nodded, and before Don could step forward to protest, Raph was out of the garage, with only one thing in mind; to bring back what had been taken from them.

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" LEO!" Don almost yelled at their leader. " Are you crazy?!" Don walked up to the wounded turtle. " Are you going to let RAPH train Mona?"

" She needs a good teacher," Leo said.

" Then why can't you be her sensei?" Don said.

" DAD!"

Don turned to see the angry look on Mona's face. " You don't have to ask Leo that. He has Karai and the children to think of now. If he had to train me, then would be looking after them??"

Don sighed. " Fine then," he said and turned around. " but at least promise me you'll take the bo staff as a weapon. It is the most harmless one in the dojo."

" Waite a minute," Mona said and raised a brow. " you just spoke gibberishian to me there… what-staff and a dojo? What is that?"

" I guess we're in for a very long night here…" mikey said.

**A/N: Finally the beginning on the big adventure. There's about ten more chapters left before this story is over, and when it is, it is not quite over anyway… Well you see, dear readers, after this story there will come another story that is actually the story before this story… **

**Hope you follow me. Enjoy MM**


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